


The Engineer and the Snowboarder

by OtterPen



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Character of Color, Lesbian Sex, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-24 14:11:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 91,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4922671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtterPen/pseuds/OtterPen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An engineering student meets a snowboarder and sparks fly.  The two try to make their relationship work within a trying atmosphere where careers, friends, parents, and all that adult life stuff get in the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

These bi-yearly alumni parties always left a bad taste in Asami’s mouth, but she had to attend them, even though it really made no difference for her sport. Being the captain of the women’s volleyball team meant she’d been forced to attend and wine and dine the prospective donators as well as the ones who had donated in the past. The stuffy atmosphere coupled with most of the attention going towards the football team and players usually left her bored to tears.

That’s why the sight of the dark skinned young woman felt such a welcome distraction. The woman wore a pair of wrinkled black dress pants and a long sleeved buttoned white shirt. She carried a tray with some kind of shrimp appetizer that looked wholly unappealing to Asami. Yet, it gave her an excuse to approach and make conversation, so she took advantage.

“What are these?” Not her smoothest line, Asami knew, but she just had to create an opening.

The server turned abruptly and nearly dropped the tray when she saw her. A slight blush spread across her face as those bright blue eyes looked her up and down. Asami wore a sleek black dress that hung over a pair of dark green heels and around her shoulders a matching green shawl. She enjoyed people checking her out. Usually it made her proud and happy to show off, but for some reason, with this server, it made her very self conscious.

She brushed her hair back behind her ear and studied the other woman’s shorter, chin-length dark brown hair.

“Um, shrimp... things?” The woman looked helpless for a moment as she pulled the tray around to stare at the odd looking lumps of meat and vegetables. “I really didn’t catch what they told me in the kitchen. I just kind of assumed people knew...”

Asami laughed and covered her mouth. The sheepish grin on the server’s face made the night all worth it.

“I’ve never seen you serve at one of these before. Is this your first night?”

A muscular young man with a round nose wearing similar clothes as the server came up and nudged his coworker in the ribs. He whispered loud enough for Asami to hear—though that probably wasn’t his intention.

“Hey! You can’t talk to the attendees! Kuvira is looking for any reason to fire you,” he narrowed his eyes at her and then noticed Asami staring at him, her eyebrow raised in amusement. The young man cleared his throat, smiled, and then quickly walked away nearly flinging his tray of spinach puffs into the face of an older woman.

“Sorry,” the dark skinned woman scratched her cheek and then readjusted the tray from one hand to the other. “Guess I should get back to work.”

“Wait,” Asami wouldn’t let this night return to bores-ville just yet, “What time do you get off work? There’s a party down at the Alpha Zeta Frat after this and I’d like you to go with me.”

The server grinned, “Really? We’re supposed to be done at eleven.”

“Then I’ll meet you here at eleven,” the raven haired woman smiled and resisted the urge to tuck a stray brown strand behind a dark skinned ear.

“Ah well,” the shorter haired woman frowned slightly, “How about we meet there? Like 11:30 or so? Anyways, I gotta get back to work.” She turned to leave and then turned back, “My name is Korra, by the way.”

“Asami,” she smiled and watched Korra give an enthusiastic nod. “And I’ll be looking for you at 11:30.”

 

A few hours later, after the alumni became a little too tipsy for Asami’s liking, she slipped out. The rest of the time after she talked to Korra she spent chatting scripted words to some older men who merely wanted a reason to feel young again by having the ear of a beautiful young woman. During those conversations her eyes would seek out Korra.

Korra, Asami thought, she really couldn’t keep her eyes off the woman. Several times the server bumped into various atendees. Once she dropped a tray of empty wine glasses. Thankfully they landed on the carpet and none of them broke. And a little while after that she managed to somehow cause two pickled wrapped herrings to slide off the tray and into the bodice of a rather endowed woman. If that hadn’t been bad enough, the way she dove after them, hand right between the woman’s breasts, made Asami laugh loudly and caused the attention of the men around her to stray from her own body to the scene.

They laughed and made some remarks about the service getting lax. Asami hoped Korra wouldn’t be fired on the spot. She couldn’t help but feel this a very poor job for someone like the dark skinned woman.

“She’d be better off working somewhere outdoors, where breaking things wouldn’t matter,” she mumbled out loud to herself.

Asami slid into the seat of her black dodge charger and shifted into gear. She tore out of the parking lot and couldn’t get that cute face out of her mind. The way Korra’s hair framed her wide cheeks and how her strong nose emphasized her large mouth. The woman certainly didn’t have beautiful aesthetics, rather, she was far more handsome. Which, if Asami was being honest with herself, she preferred.

Between going home and changing into something far more comfortable and then finding a parking spot far enough away from the frat but still close enough to not have to walk too long, she made it just in time to see Korra already standing by the giant oak in front of the frat.

The dark skinned woman had changed from her server’s uniform into a pair of dark blue baggy jeans and a light blue tank top. Asami thought the colors suited her quite well. She, herself, changed into a pair of black, hip hugging jeans and a long sleeved, wide necked gray shirt. Sneakers adorned her feet, now, instead of those heels.

“Have you been waiting long?”

Korra turned and she felt those blue eyes trace her body again, leaving a wake of goosebumps as they moved along her legs, torso, and finally settling in her own gaze.

“Nah. Just got here. Had to run most of the way, actually,” she wiped her brow and pushed her hair back, leaving it a little mussed.

Asami bit her lower lip and lowered her eyes to the other woman’s arms. Where before they were covered by long sleeves, she could easily see now how chiseled and muscled they really were. In fact, the tank top did it’s part to show exactly how strong and muscled Korra's torso and shoulders were. The sight not only surprised the raven haired woman, it gave her warm fuzzy feelings in her belly.

She shook her head, trying to clear it of any distracting thoughts, “Run? I wouldn’t have minded if you were a little late. Also, you should have mentioned something. I could have picked you up in my car.”

Korra shook her head and waved her off, “Nah. I don’t mind running. I get around town on my feet. Keeps me in shape.”

The house next to them shook with bass thumping music and some people ran around screaming and throwing water balloons at each other. Asami’s eyes drifted to the party and then snapped back to Korra.

“Want to go get something to drink?”

They entered the house and did a quick sweep and found the beer keg in the corner in a kiddie pool of ice. Asami grabbed a cup from the stack and pumped it full of the bubbly amber liquid. She handed it to Korra and then poured one for herself.

The loud music made it too difficult to carry on a conversation, so they walked around and sipped the cheap beer, observed the various drinking games, and scorned how the older frat boys treated the pledges. After Asami drank about half of her beer she set the cup down and then gestured to the group of people dancing to the loud thumping music.

“Want to?!” she yelled even though Korra only stood a few inches from her.

The dark skinned woman flushed and nodded as she set her barely touched drink down next to Asami’s and then followed her into the small crowd.

A rather bass thumping song began playing and people got really close and started grinding. For a moment she thought her dance partner might just turn back around, but instead got a very nice surprise as that muscled arm slid around her waist and pulled her close.

Asami put her hands in the air and gazed down at Korra, tracing her features with her gaze and loving the way the woman felt against her. She slowly lowered her arms around Korra’s shoulders and clasped them behind her head. Although she stood a few inches taller than the other woman, she felt very comfortable against her. For several minutes she became lost in a world of those blue eyes, that chiseled body, and a lingering scent of the cooked foods from the alumni party and something else she couldn’t quite place her nose on.

They transitioned into a faster paced song and Asami took a step back and swayed her hips and spun in Korra’s arms. Her dance partner couldn’t keep up as well and merely stood back, keeping her feet moving and watching Asami shake her thing. At the end of the song she pulled Korra from the dance floor in search of water.

“What about our drinks?!”

Asami waved her off, “Forget about them. I need water!”

She also needed a cold shower. While everyone around her had no problem making out and even more in front of a crowd of drunken college students, she had a bit more dignity than to give in to her hormones.

No matter how sexy Korra’s sweat glistened skin appeared.

Out on the porch she found a cooler of water bottles and tossed one back to the other woman. They spent a minute drinking the nice cool liquid. Asami leaned against the siding of the house and Korra pulled herself up onto the porch railing just a foot away.

“So... that was fun.”

Asami bit her lip and giggled.

Korra’s cheeks darkened. Or at least, Asami thought they darkened. The low light made it difficult to see the change.

“It... it wasn’t?”

The raven haired woman took a step forward, placing herself between Korra’s legs. She couldn’t help pressing a hand down on that thigh, feeling the muscles underneath the denim. “Yes, it was fun.”

She watched the other woman’s breath hitch. Her eyebrows raised and lips twisted into a tight smirk, “So then why did you laugh at me?”

Asami shook her head and leaned forward, her face merely inches from Korra's.

“I merely giggled at how and what you said, not at you in particular. You’re very cute, you know?”

This time she did see the blush tint those dark cheeks. It made her feel more bold and daring. She set her bottle down on the railing and slid an arm around that thin waist, pulling Korra close to her.

“Do you want to go back to mine?”

Asami waited for an answer that never met her ears. Instead she watched the short haired woman shake her head and look down off to the side. The high that the light skinned woman felt quickly dipped and she pulled her arm and hand back and took a step back, only to suddenly find herself being pulled forward and up against that muscled body.

“That’s not... I mean,” Korra sighed and squeezed Asami’s hips. She waited patiently for the server to explain. Her fingertips traced the taut bulge in the woman’s bicep. “I don’t even know you. All we did was drink and then dance and now you want to... gah!”

A smile graced the raven haired woman’s lips, but she stifled the laugh. She wanted to hear this explanation.

“I’m really attracted to you, like really attracted to you,” Korra continued while staring down at Asami’s stomach. Her eyes wouldn’t lift up so Asami put a finger under her chin and brought that gaze to meet her own. “But I don’t want to just jump into bed together. Can’t we, I don’t know, date a little first?”

She’d held out long enough. Asami laughed, full bellied, and didn't even bother to cover her mouth. In front of her those bright eyes dropped to the side and she had a feeling the woman would have dropped her head again if her hand hadn’t been in place holding it up. She dipped her head down and brushed her lips against Korra’s. Just a soft nip of a kiss, a touch, a slight taste, and such a simple action that it startled Asami when her heart suddenly started to race in her chest.

Korra’s eyes closed and Asami took the moment to stare unabashedly at the muscled woman when she pulled back. When those eyes fluttered back open, she let go of her chin and placed both of her arms on those dark skinned shoulders.

“I would love to go out on a proper date with you,” Asami smiled. She wanted to reassure the other woman that any fears she had about putting a stop to further nightly activities had no bearing on her feelings. “But you should know that I also find you terribly attractive and I may not be able to contain my hands or my lips whenever I see you.”

“Terribly attractive? That’s a good thing, right?”

Asami continued to smile. She nodded her head.

Korra let out a breath and then grinned so wide that for a moment the raven haired woman thought her face might get stuck like that.

“So... can I get your number?”

This time when Asami laughed, Korra kept smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

Korra glared at her closet and threw a shirt into the laundry basket. “Everything I own is either tank tops or hoodies! Why?”

Down the hall in the living area Bolin snorted and yelled, “That’s because all you ever do is go to the gym when you’re not at work.”

She couldn’t disagree with him. That just further infuriated her. She grabbed a shoe, stepped out of her room, and chucked it down the hall. It glanced by the young man’s ear and bounced off the TV stand onto the ground.

“Hey! Be careful! Jeez!” He punched the pause button on the PS4 controller and hopped up off the couch. “Seriously, do I gotta do everything for you?” The brown haired man stomped down the hall and threw his middle finger up at Korra who returned it full force.

He went into his room and threw open some drawers and grabbed some clothes. When he had a sufficient arm full he returned to her room and threw them in at her.

“Try these on. Then tomorrow we’re going to go get you something nice for your other dates with her,” Bolin frowned and went back to continue his game.

Korra tossed the clothes onto her bed and followed him back to the living room.

“You assume there is going to be other dates. Have you even seen her? She is drop dead gorgeous. I mean jeez,” the dark skinned woman sighed and flopped down onto the couch while running her hands through her hair. “I should just text her and say something came up.”

Bolin elbowed her as he maneuvered his character through a group of demon lords, “No! You can do this! I saw the way she was lookin’ at you. And you even told me yourself that you two danced and kissed. She’s totally into you and if you ask me, you’re totally into her.”

She groaned and covered her eyes, “But wait until we have to actually carry on a conversation. She’ll realize what a mistake she made and that’ll be it.”

Her roommate grunted as he took down two of the demon lords, “Stop being so self deprecating. If it doesn’t work out then it doesn’t work out. At least you can say you tried.”

Korra took a few deep breaths and tried to let his advice sink in. She really wanted to make a good impression. She wanted this date to go well so she could keep dating the raven haired goddess. That gorgeous hair, that curvy figure, and those lips. Oh god those lips.

“Quit thinking about her lips and go get dressed!”

The dark skinned woman reached over and smacked the side of Bolin’s head and then rolled out of his reach and off the couch. “I wasn’t thinking about her lips,” she announced as she trudged back to her bedroom.

“Yes, you were! Every time you talk about her lips you start licking yours. And you were licking your lips just now!” He growled at the TV when his character died and flopped his head back. “Just get ready before you end up being late and having to run. I fucking told Mako to leave the car but he got some internship and wanted to go out with the other interns tonight.”

Back inside her room, Korra undressed and tried some of Bolin’s clothes on. They draped over her smaller body. Of course they were too big. “Bolin you idiot! I can’t wear your clothes,” she grumbled and then yanked them off. From down the hall he yelled something about trying on Mako’s clothes but a glance at the clock told her she didn’t have time.

She threw on a gray tank top and a pair of jeans and stuffed her wallet and phone in her pockets. After a quick jog down the hall she pulled on her sneakers and grabbed her keys.

“Now you’re going to be all sweaty. Not making a good second impression,” Bolin sung at her as he punched the keys on his controller.

“Shut up,” she snapped at him as she ran out the door.

 

Twenty minutes later Korra stopped a block from the restaurant and caught her breath. She slicked her hair back and leaned against a brick building while fanning herself. Thankfully she managed to catch a bus and only had to jog five blocks leaving her mostly sweat free. After a sniff check of her underarms, she took a deep breath and walked calmly the rest of the way.

The restaurant, a place called ‘Mountain Air’, was a laid back place that served some of her favorite dishes. Her and Bolin ate there at least once a week. Asami had asked her for a recommendation. She just hoped the raven haired woman didn’t want to go somewhere fancier or more swanky.

As she neared the place she looked up to see the woman she’d just been thinking about leaning against a fancy looking black car and looking down at her phone with her brows knit together.

Korra couldn’t stop the grin that rose on her face and she slowed to watch her, savoring the woman’s body and how her outfit, a tight, dark red leather jacket with matching leather pants, and knee high black heeled boots, just seemed to accentuate all her curves.

Once she got about five feet from the beauty, Asami looked up and the smile that graced her features caused Korra’s cheeks to heat up.

“Hey you.”

The dark skinned woman fiddled with the hem of her tank and offered a short wave with her free hand, “Hey yourself.”

For a short moment they simply stared at each other, light blushing, awkward shuffling, and silence. During the last seven days the only communication the two had consisted of short texts of setting up the date. Neither offered any information other than a good place to meet and what kind of foods they liked.

“So, um, let’s go inside,” Korra turned and took three long steps and swung the door open. She held it for Asami who giggled and stepped through it while offering a gracious dip of her head.

Inside, the cozy restaurant consisted of a wall of booths, half a dozen tables, and a bar with attached stools. The owner, a tall, bald man with tattoos on his head and arms, waved at her.

“Hey Tenzin!” she waved back and then turned to Asami. “Booth, table, or bar counter? Oh, that’s Tenzin by the way. He owns the place.”

Asami followed her gesture to the man and smiled at him. He smiled back and then returned to chopping some vegetables.

“How about a booth?”

Korra nodded and took them over to an empty booth. The place had a sparse crowd for a Saturday. It made sense, though, because of the football game going on down at the stadium.

She slid onto one seat and watched as the raven haired woman pulled off her leather jacket to reveal a tight white t-shirt underneath and a faint outline of a black bra. Korra had to pick her jaw up and focus her attention on the menu, even though she already knew what she wanted to order.

“So how was your week?”

The dark skinned woman looked up from the menu in front of her, “Oh. Good. Same ol’ same ol’. How about yours?”

“Classes, classes, and more classes. I just try to stay thankful that I’m graduating this year. Of course, then it’s on to graduate school,” Asami picked up a menu from the holder on the table. “What year are you? First, second?”

Korra frowned and lifted her menu higher. She pursed her lips and then sighed, “I don’t actually go to your school.”

She could feel those captivating green eyes on her as she pretended to read through the menu. This is what she kept trying to explain to Bolin. They might be attracted to each other, but what kind of connection could they make beyond that? Oh well, at least she gave it a try. He had that part right.

“Oh,” Asami’s voice lilted and then she quickly continued, “I’m sorry. I just assumed. You knew about the frat and you were working on campus. That was stupid of me.”

“What? No way! That’s not stupid. I mean, you’re right. I’m the same age as a lot of those kids and I probably should be in college, but I’m just...” Korra trailed off and bit her lip. “I mean, college is for smart people. And I’m not one. You know?”

Across the small table she heard the taller woman giggle. A blush rose along her neck and ears.

“Most of the kids at college aren’t that smart. Don’t make that mistake of assuming that only smart people go there. Also, college isn’t for everyone, you know?” She nodded her head enthusiastically, “What I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t matter, I guess. So what do you do, then? Aside from working for the campus catering that is?”

From behind the menu, Korra let out a breath and chanced raising her eyes. She saw no judgment in Asami’s gaze, only interest and a smile. It made her throat swell.

“Well, Bolin just got me the job on campus. You met him, he’s the guy who told me to not talk to you,” she rolled her eyes, “I also work part time at The Steel Gym. Beyond that I just do seasonal jobs here and there.”

A woman walked over followed by a small boy with huge eyebrows trying to show her a drawing he did. She smiled at the two women in the booth and asked what they wanted to drink. After she took their drink orders she walked away while smiling and nodding at the boy during his babbling.

“That’s Pema. She’s married to Tenzin. And that’s her boy. They’ve got four kids. I can’t even imagine trying to run this place and raise those little bundles of energy,” Korra grinned as she watched a girl who resembled her father come running from the back with her arms stretched and making airplane noises.

Asami laughed, “They’re adorable. Do you come here a lot, then?”

Korra shrugged her shoulders and put the menu back in it’s holder, “Me and Bolin like the food here. And Pema is really nice. She’ll give us extra dumplings without us even asking for them. Tenzin will talk your ear off, though, if you’re not careful.”

On the other side of the booth the raven haired woman leaned back with a smile and listened as her eyes scanned the menu periodically. She eventually placed the menu next to the one already in the holder and then smiled as Pema, a woman who didn’t look like she’d given birth to four children, placed a green tea in front of Asami and water in front of Korra.

They each ordered, teriyaki steak for Korra, and spring rolls for Asami. Both agreed that they also needed to share an order of dumplings as well.

Once Pema left with their orders they each settled back against the soft cushions, Asami crossing her arms over her chest and Korra drumming her fingers on the tabletop.

“So what is your, um, major?”

The other woman’s lips curled, “Engineering. I actually want to invent and build engines for things like cars, boats, planes, and the like.”

“Really?” Korra raised her eyebrows, “That’s awesome. I can barely fix my own bicycle, I can’t even imagine building an engine for a car or plane. Seriously impressive.”

Asami lit up and leaned forward, “You should bring your bicycle to my place. Whatever is wrong with it, I guarantee I can fix it. I’ve been tinkering with stuff like that since I was a kid.”

“It’s a date then,” the dark skinned woman blushed, “I mean, another date. Or rather, a meeting, or something like that.”

Her ‘date’ didn’t say anything and just kept smiling and watching her while taking a sip from her green tea. When it became apparent she was content to let Korra ramble on, the short haired woman cleared her throat and changed the subject.

“What sport do you play?”

A dark eyebrow raised, “What makes you think I play sports?”

Korra rolled her eyes and picked up a straw. She peeled the paper from it and explained, “The alumni event for college athletes. You’re in college, you attended the party, hence you play some kind of sport. Plus, your body is in really good shape. I felt those hips and that waist. You do something to keep them feeling like that.”

Both women were blushing by the end of that explanation.

Asami cleared her throat, “I play volleyball.”

“Awesome! What position do you play?”

“Well, we cycle through them from time to time, but I tend to stick to outside hitter. Although I get substituted in for middle blocker from time to time.”

Korra nodded her head a few times and then pursed her lips and shook her head. She laughed and ran a hand through her hair, “Okay, I’m going to admit, I honestly have no idea what positions there are in volleyball and what any of that means. You’re going to have to explain it all to me.”

The raven haired woman grinned and proceeded to explain. Their food arrived and they chatted intermittently about volleyball and what kind of workouts Asami did to stay in shape.

As they finished eating, the taller woman put her elbow on the counter and leaned her head on her hand, “So I take it you don’t just work in a gym, but you work out in a gym?”

The shorter smiled and discreetly flexed her bicep, “It shows, right? Actually, I’m in training. Working part time at the gym gives me the freedom to keep up with my workouts while also getting paid. The job on campus is mainly for the rent.”

“What are you training for?” Asami’s eyes narrowed curiously and openly admired the other woman’s physique.

“Well, believe it or not, but I’m actually an amateur snowboarder. I do competitions and events like free style, half pipe, and slope style,” Korra rubbed the back of her head and looked out across the mostly empty restaurant. She didn’t usually go around announcing her real ‘job’, mostly because the responses usually were less than flattering.

Asami stared at her and then slammed the table, “Get out! Are you serious? You do the X-games and stuff?”

The table slam made Korra jump and she stared wide eyed at her date. From the other side the restaurant, Tenzin and Pema looked up, smiled, and then returned to their duties.

“Um, yeah? I mean, I’ve only been to one X-Game event. And I placed pretty bad. Most of the time I do smaller events. And it’s only during the winter. It’s not like it’s anything special...”

A pair of light skinned hands reached out and took hers, “You’re kidding, right? You do awesome tricks in front of big crowds on snow and ice and it’s nothing special? I love watching the X-games, especially the winter ones. I am definitely going to watch your next competition. You are not keeping me away.”

Korra stared for several moments. The response was something she had not at all expected. Her lips curved and then she just smiled softly at the other woman.

They gazed at each other, Asami rubbing her fingers on the tops of Korra’s hands, and Korra feeling warmth spreading throughout all of her limbs. It felt so nice.

So when Pema walked up and dropped the bill on the table, Korra nearly wanted to kick her in the head for ruining the moment.

“I got this,” Asami grabbed for it before she could.

“Whoa, wait, you have to let me pay. I dragged you here,” the dark skinned woman reached in for her wallet and frowned as her date waved her off.

“You can get the next one. And we are going out again,” Asami winked making Korra’s heart flutter.

Asami paid the bill while Korra left a very generous tip. She helped the raven haired woman back into her leather jacket and followed her outside.

“Let me drive you home.”

Normally Korra would object. Her pride coupled with a propensity to stay in shape usually had her out running late in the night. But she didn’t want this night to end, so she agreed and hopped into the passenger side of the charger.

“This is seriously an awesome ride. You even have a computer screen in the console!”

The taller woman laughed, “Yeah. Most cars made these days have them. This was my early graduation present. Dad spoils me too much, if you ask me.”

She tore out of the spot and sped down the road while Korra entered the address into the GPS. The screen defaulted back to the main menu and something caught Korra’s eye.

“Your last name is Sato?” Why did she not ask her last name sooner? Wait, she thought, why did Sato sound so familiar?

In the driver’s seat next to her, she could see the woman sighing out of the corner of her eye. Korra leaned back and made sure her belt was buckled tight, especially with the way the woman weaved in and out of traffic like a NASCAR racer.

“Yeah. And yes, before you ask, he is the CEO and owner of Sato Airplanes. And no, I’ve never flown with rock stars or actors or people like that,” Asami smirked at the last bit.

“Oh,” the snowboarder blinked and tried not to fret about the lights turning yellow and then red as they passed underneath, “You just seem so laid back. I would have never guessed.”

They pulled up in front of her apartment and came to a jarring stop. The college student shifted into park and then turned the engine off but left the radio and dash lights on.

“Dad wanted to make sure I had a normal upbringing. I don’t think about it too much. I’m just like you or anyone else.”

Korra was only half listening. Her attention fixated on Asami’s profile and how the woman’s hair fell across her eyes and brushed along her soft sloping nose. She traced those ruby red lips (Asami actually reapplied lipstick in the restaurant while she paid the bill) with her eyes and thought about the kiss at the party.

And that voice, that slightly scratchy, and oh so sexy voice.

She unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over. Wordlessly she pressed her lips to Asami’s and felt very happy to feel the woman respond enthusiastically. The sound of the other seat belt unbuckling preceded a pair of cool hands pressed against her cheeks and then threaded up through her hair.

The kiss deepened and Korra parted her lips to breathe. A tongue pushed up against her teeth and she sucked it in. Dumplings, spring rolls, and the dessert orange all invaded her taste buds. She loved it. And she especially enjoyed the way her date dominated her own tongue, pushing it down and moving it around.

Some amount of time passed. An hour? Ten minutes? Maybe just a few minutes. The latter seemed unlikely. The two eventually pulled apart. Breathless, swollen lips, warm cheeks, and for Korra, messy hair with a slightly sore scalp. Asami still had her fingers threaded into those strands. They gripped and tugged and held her close. She didn’t mind. She brushed her nose against the other woman’s and they each giggled and smiled.

“I would invite myself up but...”

Korra closed her eyes, “Bolin is up there. And Mako, my other roommate, is probably home, as well, by now.”

Asami kissed her again. A sweet and chaste kiss this time.

“I want to take a page out of your book,” the raven haired woman’s voice came out husky and hushed, “I want to wait. Because I really like you. I don’t want to rush anything.”

Her eyes were still closed but she could feel a pair of soft emerald-green eyes gazing adoringly at her. Just that thought alone helped to calm her roaring libido.

“So when should I bring my bicycle over to get fixed?”

The laughter that followed sounded so very sweet.


	3. Chapter 3

The following Monday, after her classes, Asami drove out to one of her dad’s buildings and met him for lunch. They tried to keep in contact whenever his schedule allowed but with her schooling and projects and him having to run an entire business, the meetings were far and few between.

She carried several boxes from his favorite take out and waved at the secretary who buzzed her into the huge warehouse. The inside resembled an airplane hangar except instead of whole airplanes there hung propellers, blades, and other various parts. On the floor various men and women worked on the engines putting them all together piece by piece and completely by hand. No automation or assembly line in sight.

A short walk through some winding halls and she entered his office without bothering to knock. The man in question sat at his desk, a blue tooth in his ear, a phone in his hand, and several flat screens on the walls, some of which showed the news, others attached to the computer tower under his desk. All quiet except for the muffled buzzing.

Though only in his early fifties, he had grayed almost completely. He somehow still retained his thick and wavy hair (the latter of which he passed onto her). In fact, she resembled him in many ways. Both of them were tall, had sharp and angular faces, and both had a love of building and taking things apart. Invention and the Sato name went hand in hand.

The only major differences she noted were his brown eyes and his full bushy mustache.

Try as she might she could never grow that mustache.

The thought caused her to giggle and he raised an eyebrow at her while discussing the prices of rubber for the tires on the landing gear.

She set about moving things out of the way, stacking papers, being careful to put the picture of him, herself, and her mother to the nearby cabinet. The raven haired woman gazed at her mother. Those green eyes they shared made her feel so connected to the woman she hardly knew.

“Asami!”

Her father’s voice told her she had his complete attention and she turned to find herself being engulfed in his warm embrace.

“Missed you, Dad,” she leaned against his shoulder and then pulled back to peck his cheek.

They pulled apart and he went around to the other side of his desk. “What did you bring to eat?”

“Your favorite,” she stepped forward and took out some plates, utensils, and containers. One by one she opened them, “Fettuccine, chicken Alfredo, Parmesan and cheese melted toast, fresh steamed broccoli and carrots, and of course,” she pulled a box from her chair and opened it, “Cherry pie with whipped cream.”

He laughed as he sat down in his chair. “How many are joining us?”

The young woman rolled her eyes and began scooping food onto a plate for him, “I know you probably skipped breakfast and I’m pretty hungry from a rough practice earlier. So let’s dig in!”

For the next several minutes the two set to work on the veritable feast, exchanging pleasantries between bites, and discussing shallow topics such as weather and the new line of airplanes he’d been working on.

After the second helping got under way her father paused a little longer and stared at her for several seconds.

She quickly chewed and raised an eyebrow at him.

“I was just thinking that instead of going to graduate school, you should just come to work for me. We could do so many great things together. It would be just like when you were younger,” he bit into a piece of toast and grunted softly.

Asami sighed and leaned back, “And one day I may want to do that. But right now I want to explore all avenues and study all kinds of new technologies as well as getting schooled on old.”

He huffed and stabbed his fork into the pile of veggies on his plate, “You can learn all of that while you work here!”

“Dad,” she smiled at him, though she felt far from happy. Nothing new about this conversation. He sprung it on her like clockwork since she explained to him her plans of graduate school and (hopefully) eventual PhD. “At least let me try it out. If I don’t like it then maybe that offer will still stand after the first year?”

Countless conversations helped her hone her compromising argument so that she could escape his guilt-ridden sentiments with little harm to either of them.

Thankfully he still hadn’t caught on.

Her father smiled and leaned forward. He looked as if he planned on continuing but a knock at the door caused him to pause.

“Come in.”

The door opened slightly and in peaked a head with spiky black hair.

“The design team wanted me to drop this off for you. It’s the new specs for the carburetor,” in walked a young man, around Asami’s age. He looked tall, slim, and wore a clean cut suit with a matching tie. If she hadn’t had a mouth full of food, she would have laughed.

No one who worked for her father dressed so smartly, not even the man in question, who currently sported a gray polo and a pair of blue jeans.

Even she hadn’t bothered to dress up. After practice she threw on a t-shirt and track pants. Not necessarily the epitome of fashion... but she thought she made it look good all the same.

Her eyes caught a pair of light brown eyes and she forced a smile after swallowing her food.

“Oh, um, excuse me. I didn’t know you had company,” the suited man flushed and cleared his throat. He stepped into the office and stood ramrod straight like some kind of military personnel. “I’ll just leave these... ummm...” He stared at the cluttered desk and frowned.

Asami’s father laughed and stood up from the chair. He took several steps and took the paperwork from the obvious intern, “Thank you, Mako. And don’t worry about interrupting. This is my daughter, Asami. Asami, this is Mako. He’s one of the new interns. Looks like my departments have made you their errand boy.”

Her father laughed boisterously while she put down her plate and reached out to shake his hand from where she sat. Mako gripped her hand firm and snug and gave two shakes before releasing. She thought he seemed wound more tight than a tension spring.

“He attends your university. I’m surprised you haven’t met before.”

Asami shook her head and smirked, “Dad... do you even realize how many students attend R.U.?”

The older man waved her off and placed the files on top of a stack on his desk. “All the same, you and Mako should, what do they say, ‘hang out’ some time. He has an interest in airplanes and I’m sure you two would have a lot to talk about.”

She glanced at the fellow student and saw him squirming but obviously checking her out. “Sure. Meet me back here in an hour and we can exchange information. Okay, Mako?”

The intern opened his mouth to say something and subsequently got cut off by her father, “Good good! No offense intern, but you’ll have to shoo! This is my time with my daughter right now.”

He nodded at the older man and then turned and left. She sore she saw him spin on one heel, just like a military man.

When the conversation started again, she was happy that the topic of graduate school never picked back up. Instead she got to hear all about the new design and new orders from three different countries.

 

 

Friday night found Asami sitting on a stool with Korra pressed against her watching her fix the chain and spokes of the other woman’s bicycle. The distraction of the snowboarder’s body proved enough for her to make two mistakes and drop her pliers once.

Korra had pulled up a stool next to her and sat thigh to thigh and arm against arm. They sat in Asami’s garage, the door wide open letting the cool night air into the large space that housed her car, tools, and several projects, some of which were for school and others that were simply for fun.

“If you make sure to have the back tire in a firm grip here and a clamp on the bolt here you can easily tighten the chain just by putting this here,” she explained as she made the necessary adjustments.

“That looks simple enough,” she heard the other woman murmur. She felt the breath tickle her bare shoulder and it made her shiver. “Of course, I’m sure I’d mess it up. I once broke a stapler when I tried to put more staples in it.”

Asami grinned and began tightening the nut that held the back tire in place. “It amazes me that someone who snowboards, at least semi-professionally, finds trouble making simple repairs. Haven’t you ever had to fix the boot on your board?”

The shorter woman shrugged and thoughtfully tilted her head back, “My dad fixes it for me. He’s also my coach. In a pinch I can always just go to my Aunt Kya. Though she’s usually too busy for stuff like that.”

“And they call me spoiled.”

Those blue eyes narrowed at her, “Hey...”

She cut off the other woman with a quick turn of her head followed by a chaste kiss.

The kiss caused Korra’s frown to switch to a full on grin. Dark skinned hands thread into her hair and pulled her forward for a deeper kiss. They teased each other, grazing teeth against lips, and Asami could feel the other woman’s fingers tugging her hair—probably pay back for the night in the car.

When they broke apart Korra kissed her nose and then her forehead and then let go and stood up to stretch. Asami studied the woman’s figure rather unabashedly. She particularly liked her in stretchy material, such as the long sleeved shirt she currently wore. It outlined her full breasts and muscled stomach which had the very faintest outline of a six-pack.

“So I think I owe some fantastic person a pizza.”

Asami smiled and licked her lips. She returned the tools to their spots while the short haired woman flipped the bicycle over and hopped on. Down the driveway the snowboarder went and out into the street. The woman laughed and waved while also pointing at how the bicycle now worked.

“Hey! Pizza!” Asami yelled while also laughing at the woman's antics.

Korra nodded and rode back into the garage. The raven haired woman hit the button to close the door and then waved her into the house. She walked straight to the kitchen sink to wash her hands.

“Grab the door, will you?”

The other woman followed her in and closed the door behind her. She heard her whistle. “This place is really nice. I can’t believe you live here all by yourself. Not even your dad stays here sometimes?”

“Nope. But he said once I move out we’re just going to sell it and regain the costs, or at least try to,” she dried her hands and then grabbed her phone from the table. “There's great pizza place on an app here. We can order through this.”

“Nice,” Korra walked up next to her and pressed her head on her shoulder. She smiled. They dressed in reverse today with Asami wearing the tank top while the blue eyed woman had the long sleeves. One day she would sync up with her. “I like meat. Like load it up with meat!”

Once they compromised on toppings she led the other woman into the living area and plopped down onto the couch. With as much grace as a hippo Korra joined her by sitting down and leaving as little to no space as possible between their bodies.

“Do you want to-”

Asami paused when she felt and saw the woman’s darker fingers slide in her hand and thread through her own more fair skinned fingers. She smiled and squeezed the hand in return.

They sat together for a few minutes in silence.

“Do you... do you want to be my girlfriend?”

The taller woman’s eyes widened and she looked over at a pair of ice blue eyes raising slowly and filled with hope and fright. Ever since Korra came into her life she found her cheeks sore each day from all the smiling. And this, this felt like her biggest smile yet.

Next to her, the dark skinned woman frowned and she could feel that hand squeeze hers again.

“Asami?”

Just the mere fact that someone would be so polite, so endearing to ask such a silly but so meaningful question told her more about the woman next to her than probably any answer to any question she would have ever thought to ask.

She leaned in and kissed the corner of the snowboarder’s mouth, then the other corner, and then just before fully pressing her lips down on those wonderful, sweet tasting lips, she replied, “Yes, you silly, of course.”

The two women spent some time kissing each other with a happy kind of relief. Asami brought her free hand up to Korra’s cheek and held her close while tasting her lips, her tongue, her gums, her teeth, and anything she could press her mouth too and against.

They might have gone on for hours were it not for the remote getting pinned under Asami’s thigh only to have a button pushed when she shifted.

The sound from the TV burst into the room loudly and startled Korra who quickly pulled her head back and bumped her nose against Asami’s. The two women quickly covered their own face, stared at each other, and then fell apart into laughter and giggles.

She reached under her thigh and pulled the remote out and crashed her thumb onto the mute button. Once the TV went quiet she looked next to her.

Korra had her head leaned back against the upper cushion of the couch and rubbed her cheeks and nose.

“Well that could have gone better,” she mumbled. The woman brought her hand up and looked at it as if expecting blood.

Asami shook her head and pressed her hand against the snowboarder’s thigh and squeezed those taut and bountiful muscles underneath. “I don’t know how much better you were planning. Besides, I think you made out pretty well. You got a girlfriend out of it.”

A big smile spread over Korra’s face. It caused her own heart to jump and then beat erratically.

“Yeah? Yeah...” With a lot more care, so as to not bump noses, the shorter woman leaned in and kissed. She pulled back, “My girlfriend, Asami.”

“And my girlfriend, Korra.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Maybe I should have gone to college,” Bolin murmured as they passed an outdoor yoga class on the lawn.

Korra turned her eyes to a dozen young women in spandex and other revealing clothes and then subsequently rolled said eyes. She grabbed his arm and yanked him along from where he stopped to gawk in the middle of the sidewalk.

“We’re already late. I promised her I’d come and watch.”

Her roommate sighed, “But I never made that promise.”

“I also don’t remember asking you to come along, either,” she playfully nudged him in the ribs with her elbow and he grabbed his side as if she fractured some bones.

“Harsh much?”

“I wanted Mako to go so he could at least show us which building,” she mumbled while walking through a group of students all wearing bulging backpacks and carrying armfuls of books. “I couldn’t find my way out of a paper bag, let alone find anything on this campus.”

“That idiot. All he ever does now is that internship and classes. Every time I ask him if he wants to hang he says he’s busy trying to make a life for himself. What a stick in the mud,” Bolin rolled his eyes. “I think it’s up here,” He pointed to a building with adults and students going in and out of it at a much more increased rate than the surrounding buildings.

They jogged up to the doors and wandered inside. Signs pointed them in the direction to the gymnasium and after some twists and turns they entered through a pair of double doors.

Korra smiled and nodded, “Looks like they’re just starting. Let’s grab a seat.”

She led him up the bleachers and they sat down a dozen rows behind the R.U. women’s volleyball team. The brown haired man punched her arm and she glared at him and then followed his gaze.

Out on the court both teams warmed up, each hitting their own volleyball around and also jumping up by the net. She turned back to him while lifting her arms in the international sign for ‘what the fuck’.

“They’re hot!” He yelled a little too loud and some of the parents gave them dirty looks. Both roommates blushed and then giggled.

The dark skinned woman scanned the teams again and her eyes settled on a very familiar and very alluring sight.

While not the tallest on the court, Asami cut a very nice figure in skin tight shorts and a jersey. She had her thick, shiny black hair pulled back into a ponytail which left her creamy neck largely exposed. Korra hadn’t really paid her body much attention. She knew she liked it, but she didn’t know the extent until she saw it in action. Her long, sinewy legs, a pair of hips that tapered into a classic hourglass figure, and her nice long torso with the most gentle swell at her chest.

“Earth to Korra...”

She blinked and then swatted at Bolin’s hand as it rapped against her head. “What,” she grunted, “is your problem?”

His laughter just made her blush.

“Asami is pretty damn fine. You did pretty well with her. I won’t lie, I’m jealous as hell!”

The compliment evoked many different feelings. Part of her wanted to hit him for admiring his girlfriend, another part of her felt pride at having such a sexy girlfriend, and yet another part simply felt beyond thrilled having the ability to call Asami her ‘girlfriend.’

She settled for a smile and waved when her girlfriend noticed her in the stands. Then her eyes went wide when the woman jogged up the steps and over to her.

“H-hey?”

Korra barely had time to react to the raven haired beauty who leaned down and kissed her. She blushed, again, and grinned.

“Glad you could make it,” Asami looked over at Bolin who looked equally surprised as Korra felt. “Hi!”

“Oh, yeah, um, Asami, this is Bolin. He’s one of my roommates. Bolin, you remember Asami...”

The muscled man reached out and shook her girlfriend’s (she’d never get tired of that description) hand, “I remember her! How could I not? You nearly got fired for flirting with her while on duty.”

Asami’s eyebrow raised.

Korra stared daggers at her roommate, “That’s not how it went, Bolin!”

“I seem to remember a little bit of flirting,” the raven haired woman grinned and winked.

Bolin’s eyes lit up. He found a comrade in arms. “Totally! All ‘Oh Asami! You are the sexiest thing! I could eat you more than I eat salmon cakes!’ which let me tell you is a lot. I mean one time Korra’s mom brought like fifty salmon cakes for all of us and Korra ended up eating all but ten which she said she was saving for later. I was like, ‘What the hell?’ and she said they weren’t for the house they were just for her. But I seemed to recall her mom saying something else entirely.”

The red on Korra’s face rivaled that of Asami’s lipstick. She watched Bolin rambling on and on until she could no longer take the embarrassment in front of her new girlfriend and kicked his shin.

He grabbed his leg and yelled out, completely oblivious to why she would do such a thing to his poor shin.

From down on the court one of Asami’s teammates called for her to return and she sighed. “Well, gotta go play. Bolin, you are definitely coming out with us after the game. I need to hear more about Korra.”

She ruffled the shorter woman’s hair and ran back down the steps.

Korra sat in complete shock. She smacked Bolin’s head once more for good measure and then covered her face.

“Why did you have to tell her all that?” she muttered.

Her roommate rubbed his head and his shin. If he hadn’t looked so utterly confused she would have hit him once more in the gut. She could always forgive his blundering nature because he never actually meant to hurt anyone.

The ref blew her whistle and the welcome distraction gave Bolin a reason to check out the players. Of course, it also gave Korra a reason to check out one player in particular.

Asami started close to the net off to the side. The opposing team hit the ball first and the women knocked it back and forth several times. Eventually Asami’s team set it up and the raven haired woman went in for a spike, only to get blocked. She frowned and everyone went back to their spots to start the match all over again.

“I think I found a new favorite sport to watch,” Bolin leaned back and put his hands behind his head.

Korra ignored him and leaned forward. She clapped her hands and cheered Asami on. Eventually R.U.’s team managed to score and the snowboarder whistled with her fingers while her roommate cheered loudly.

 

Two hours and one Republic University win later left Korra and Bolin waiting on the steps of the athletic building.

“Do you think you could see me attending university?”

The short haired woman shrugged her shoulders, “Do you really want to? You’d have to study all the time and attend classes. There would be no more time to play video games or go work out.”

Bolin sighed, “Fair point. I guess, I just feel like this is a whole unexplored world. Mako going made sense. I’m just a muscle head. He’s at least smart.”

She leaned over and put an arm around his shoulder, “Nothing wrong with being a muscle head. Once you get into the Olympics stuff like university won’t matter. And let’s be honest, you just want to attend for the chances at all the ladies.”

He grinned and lightly punched her arm.

“Who is going to the Olympics?”

Korra turned around and greeted the lovely vision of her girlfriend. The woman changed into a long skirt and a t-shirt. Her damp, probably recently showered, hair hung around her shoulders. She had a duffel bag under her arm.

“Bolin! Of course. He’s working on becoming a professional weightlifter, when he’s not busy ogling girls,” she squeezed his shoulders then rose to her feet.

Her roommate followed, “I don’t always ogle girls. Just pretty ones.”

Asami laughed. Korra took the opportunity to embrace her. She inhaled the scent of coconut and motor oil. The latter always seemed to follow her girlfriend and varied from faint to strong. To her surprise, the snowboarder didn’t mind it at all and began associating it with the raven haired woman.

They slowly pulled apart and she suddenly felt soft lips on hers.

She tightened her grip around the lithe and shapely body and brushed her tongue across the student’s lips. A shiver raced through her when she felt a responding tongue in kind.

Behind her a throat cleared loudly making her sigh and pull away. Her face flushed and she licked her lips. When she opened her eyes she saw Asami gazing down at her with a hazy and (possibly) loving desire.

Korra inhaled slowly. She forced herself to take a step back and let go of the taller woman. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bolin smirking and she shot him a dirty look quickly followed by a grin.

“So where are we going?” the muscled man shrugged off the intimate gesture. His more obvious interest lay in getting food.

Asami blinked a few times and she struggled to get her bearings. The action caused pride to swell in Korra.

“I... Oh. One of my teammates is going with us. If that’s okay?”

Bolin smiled, “That’s more than okay! Now I’m not a third wheel!”

“Oh poor Bolin,” the snowboarder pat his shoulder. “If you felt like you were going to be a third wheel, you were more than welcome to leave.”

“And miss out on free food?”

She frowned a little at him, “I'm not going to buy you dinner.”

“How else were you planning on repaying me for accompanying you?”

“I never asked you along to begin with!”

The two bickered back and forth and missed the arrival of Asami’s teammate. Korra felt her girlfriend’s nudge and she in turn punched Bolin who also quieted down. They both turned their eyes to a young woman with dark brown hair and a skin tone very similar to her own.

“Ahnah, this is Korra and Bolin. Guys, this is Ahnah. She’s a second year and probably going to take over as captain when I leave.”

Ahnah blushed lightly and readjusted the duffel bag on her shoulder. She shook Korra’s hand and then Bolin’s. Her eyes scanned him up and down and he noticed and puffed his chest.

The snowboarder snorted and turned away.

“So I thought we’d go get sushi. There’s a great place just off campus. My car is this way,” Asami led them into the parking lot and after some obvious speeding they pulled up to a small strip mall.

Korra climbed out of the passenger side and helped Bolin out. She noted that her roommate and Ahnah both looked a little frightened and happy be on solid ground. Her giggling made her girlfriend raise an eyebrow at her and she bit her lip and went to her side.

The four ate sushi and chatted for a couple hours. Topics from volley ball to weight lifting to embarrassing stories about Korra which left the woman blushing and groaning into her hands. Asami laughed but she also would reach over and rub her lower back during them. She really liked that part of the stories.

 

 

“You can drop me off here,” Ahnah pointed Asami to an intersection on campus. She moved her seat forward and opened her door to let her teammate out. Korra leaned back. Then suddenly she felt a sharp kick on her seat.

She turned to see Bolin leaning forward and pushing on her.

“I’ll walk you to your dorm,” he said loudly.

Korra rolled her eyes at her roommate and let him out. As he climbed out of the car she nudged him, “You want us to come pick you up later?”

“Nah,” he waved. His voice quieted and he smiled, “I can find my own way home.” Her roommate then straightened up and waved to Ahnah, “Let me carry that!”

The brown haired man jogged over to her and grabbed the duffel bag. He started talking animatedly while the student next to him watched silently.

“She thought he looked really cute,” Asami said. “So I had to introduce her to him. Or at least, that’s what she told me.”

“I see,” Korra leaned forward and punched some buttons the middle console. “Oh, mind if I turn on some music?”

Her girlfriend laughed and shifted into drive, “Go right ahead.” They took off down the narrow street, “So your place or mine?”

Korra fumbled a moment and the music blared. She blushed and turned it back down. The genre of the station consisted of rock and alt rock. “Sorry,” she leaned back, “What did you say?”

Asami glanced at her and turned down the winding university road, “Your place, or mine?”

“It’s pretty late,” the dark skinned woman turned and looked out of her window, “I should probably go home and sleep. I have work at the gym in the morning and a catering job at night.” She turned and smiled at her girlfriend, “I had fun. You were really awesome. I’m totally coming to more of your games.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed. And I’m glad Bolin enjoyed, as well. He seems like a really nice guy. How long have you two known each other?”

“Oh, gosh, from when we were in middle school. His family moved to the base of the mountain and we just sort of clicked. Been best friends ever since,” she turned her gaze from the window to Asami and admired how easily the woman handled the wheel and the shifter.

The raven haired woman turned onto a main road and let loose with her speeds now that she was off campus.

“You two do seem very close. Did you ever try... dating him?”

Korra couldn’t be sure but she sensed a tinge of jealousy. The thought made her laugh out loud. “Bolin and me? Oh heck no! He’s like a brother to me. I mean I don’t have any siblings but I like to imagine that even if we’re not blood related, we’re brother and sister in soul. You... you aren’t jealous, are you?”

“No!” Asami cleared her throat, “I mean, no, not at all.”

For some reason the sight of her girlfriend losing her cool for a moment made the snowboarder grin. She slowly reached over and placed a hand on top of the other woman’s which sat on the shifter.

They drove on in silence for a couple miles. Korra rubbed her thumb slowly on top of Asami’s hand. Eventually she felt the woman’s fingers interlace with hers. Somehow she still managed to shift like this which only amazed the short haired woman.

Time passed too quickly and they arrived back in front of her apartment. Asami put the car in park and let the engine idle. Korra made no move to pull her hand away or get out of the car.

“So maybe I’m a little jealous,” the engineering student admitted, “You two live together and he knows all these things about you. I feel I know next to nothing.”

Korra brought the woman’s hand up and began kissing the exposed fair skinned knuckles. She then pressed it against her cheek and smiled. A pair of green eyes regarded her softly.

“It’s been what... a few weeks for you and me? I’ve known Bolin for almost nine years. Of course he is going to know me better,” she reasoned as gently as she could, “But he will also never make my heart pound the way you do.”

Asami smiled brightly. “That’s so sweet. You’re so adorable. Even if you do have a tendency to eat hoards of salmon cakes or think that you can use the same kind of soap to do laundry and wash dishes with.”

“Hey! That only happened once! And I-” a pair of lips cut her off. The defensive words died in her throat and she leaned forward, eager to repeat the acts of the last time they stopped in front of her place like this.

The kiss deepened quickly and Korra let go of the other woman’s hand to unbuckle her seat belt. She heard Asami doing the same and grinned against those curved lips. Once again she felt the volleyball player’s hands thread into her hair and pull tight. It made her growl and kiss with even more fervor.

Then the other woman pulled back and squeaked. She frowned and shook her head—which currently felt very hazy and full of desire.

“The shifter...” Asami glanced down and Korra followed her gaze to where the stick pushed against the student’s thigh.

“Oh yeah, right,” she pulled away, but those hands stayed in her hair. She looked up and then gawked as Asami climbed over the barrier between the seats and straddled her lap. “A-Asami?”

No answer came from her girlfriend. Instead the kissing resumed with much more passion than before. Korra moaned and slid her arms around the woman’s thin waist. She pulled her close, wrestled with that wonderful tongue, and enjoyed the accompanying taste.

She didn’t have much to compare it to in her life. The dating scene up until this point only existed in the form of one girlfriend in high school. But no one ever brought out such desire or wanton in her. And her senses always felt so overwhelmed just by being in the vicinity of her girlfriend, let alone being crushed up against her with her tongue inside her mouth.

Asami tugged her hair and tilted her head back. Korra grunted and smiled. Even though she easily had ten or twenty pounds of muscle on her girlfriend, she enjoyed the other woman taking charge so roughly.

The kissing lasted for quite some time. Each time one woman needed to breathe their lips only parted just far enough for a gasp and then came crashing back together. Her skin felt afire and her heart thudded hard inside her chest.

Korra felt her girlfriend slowly grind her hips down on her thighs and she pulled back while simultaneously bring her hands up to Asami’s shoulders pushing her away.

“Wait!”

She closed her eyes and tried to slow her rapid breathing and heart rate. Her lust-filled mind took time to clear. While she calmed her body she felt the fingers loosen in her hair and pull away entirely.

When she finally opened her eyes she saw her girlfriend biting her lip and looking over at the driver’s seat. She felt the woman begin moving and immediately brought her hands back to her waist to hold her in place.

“Wait,” Korra huffed and let go of the waist to turn Asami’s head to face her. She stared at a pair of sad green eyes and her own stomach flopped. “Just... wait. You need to hear me. Please.”

The other woman’s gaze became more focused and her tense body relaxed. Her hands came to rest on top of Korra’s forearms.

“What is it?” the concern in her girlfriend’s voice caused her throat to swell.

The dark skinned woman swallowed and inhaled, “It’s just that, well, I don’t know how far you planned on going and I didn’t want anything to happen. Not yet, at least. I want this to happen. You have no idea how much I want it to happen. But I also want you to know that, well, I’ve actually never done anything like this with a woman before.”

She had lowered her gaze during her explanation and watched those lightly calloused fingers stroke her arms. One of the hands on her arms raised and she felt the fingers push her chin up.

Asami leaned forward and kissed her chin and then her nose. Korra sighed and wrapped her arms loosely around the other woman.

“It’s okay,” the taller woman leaned her forehead against hers, “It really is. And we can go as slow as you like. Or as quick.”

Korra slowly nodded her head and closed her eyes.

“But you should know that while I have the utmost patience for our relationship, I also really want this to happen, and you’re very difficult to resist. So if things get out of hand again, just pinch me, and I’ll stop.”

They each shared a laugh and the snowboarder felt an immense sense of contentment.

“Now, I think I should move back over into my seat so I can let you get out and so people will stop staring as they walk by,” Asami grinned and moved off her and back across the middle console.

“Thank you,” Korra rubbed her own face and exhaled. “Thank you for understanding.”

The woman next to her leaned over and pressed her lips to her cheek. “There is no need to thank me. I only want you to be happy and comfortable.”

“Still, I just, the last girl I dated assumed I would know everything when it came down to having sex and she, well, she got upset when I told her I hadn’t done anything with a woman before. She said I was just experimenting,” the short haired woman trailed off and rubbed her hands on the tops of her jeans.

Asami puffed air from her nose and turned on the light so she could reapply her lipstick. “I guess that’s her loss, then. Personally I have zero problems with it. And if you ask me, I’d say the way you were checking me out the entire game tells me you are far from experimenting,” the raven haired woman looked over and winked at her. “But just so you’re aware, you’re not my first. I hope that’s not a problem.”

“It’s not,” Korra straightened up and furrowed her brows, “Your past is your past. All that matters to me is who you’re with, now.”

Her girlfriend finished the reapplication of makeup and put the tubes and containers back into a compartment between them. She reached over and traced Korra’s swollen lips with her finger. Korra kissed the finger and smiled.

“Go inside and get some rest. The longer you stay in here the less willpower I have. Text me about hanging out next week, okay?”

The snowboarder grinned and opened the door, “You really are wonderful.”

“And don’t you forget it!”


	5. Chapter 5

“So are you more interested in the building of airplanes or the engines within?”

Her lunch companion paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. He placed it on the plate and picked up his napkin from his lap to dab at the corners of his lips. Asami struggled to keep her eyes from rolling back into her head.

“Well,” he started, “I’m more interested in the business of it all. Selling and acquiring the necessary parts. Building the warehouses to house them all. Even the logistics in making it profitable through vigilant maintenance and re-purposing old machines. I’m hoping one day to run my own business. Maybe even this one, if you’re not already heading that way yourself.”

“I see,” the raven haired woman nibbled on her chicken Caesar salad and let her eyes wander through the crowd of students.

“Are you?”

She blinked and returned her gaze to him. “Am I what?”

The young man across from her shifted and adjusted the collar of his buttoned shirt, “Are you planning on taking over for your father?”

“Oh!” Asami frowned a little, “No. I mean, he probably wants me to, but honestly I’m more at home just building, designing, and creating new prototypes. Put me in a workshop and I won’t leave for days. Sometimes I even forget to eat.”

It was his turn to look away, “I see.” The repeated words made her feel a little bad.

They agreed to meet for lunch at her father’s insistence. After standing in line for the student buffet, in near silence, she had to force conversation while paying for their food. The dark haired man spent most of the time shifting back and forth on his feet and biting the inside of his lip. His eyes would stray along her body but look away quickly when caught.

Much to her dismay these kinds of dates happened with more and more frequency. Her father seemed to think she ought to find ‘the one’ and get married. Any man in her age range who had some kind of prospects immediately got her number, and, to keep her father happy, she would go out with them, even though he obviously had no idea of the type of people she preferred.

She really needed to tell him about Korra.

The last train of thought caused her to frown and she became distracted in a myriad of feelings and memories about the woman. Such strong feelings always accompanied any thought of the snowboarder. No one made her feel like this.

“I used to play basketball,” Mako’s voice interrupted her contemplation.

The engineering student shook her head and brushed back some hair from the side of her face, “What? I’m sorry, I missed that. Kind of loud in here.” He took the lame excuse without any emotion.

“I said I used to play basketball. In high school. Guard position,” when she continued to stare at him as though he’d just walked out of a spaceship he sighed and continued, “Your father mentioned you play volleyball. You did so in high school and middle school.”

“Yeah,” the confusion of the sudden change in conversation still clouded her voice, “I play at the college here. I really enjoy it.”

Mako’s bushy eyebrows twitched, “Do you plan on playing after college?”

She shrugged, “Probably, though not professionally. I love the game. I couldn’t really give it up.”

He twisted up some noodles on his fork and shook his head, “It’s hard to believe you have time in college. I barely have time for myself with all the school work and the internship.”

Asami raised an eyebrow and took a drink from the bottle of water in front of her. She really hoped her phone would ring with a text or a call. Anything to get her out of this conversation.

“My brother seems to think that sports are something that one can turn into a career. I’m always telling him to grow up. Even professional weight lifters don’t make any money with what they do.”

“Wait, did you say weight lifting?”

The intern seemed not to hear her and kept complaining, “He spends most of his days on the couch with my other roommate playing video games. When they’re not doing that, they go to the gym and work out. I mean, without a college education, they’re just going to-”

She cut him off, “Is your brother Bolin?!”

Those thick eyebrows of his shot up. “How did you-?”

“I know Korra! I hung out with Bolin and her the other night. They mentioned a third roommate but they didn’t call him by name. Wow! This is such a small world!”

He didn’t appear very pleased at the revelation. Asami took another drink and then resumed munching her salad. Across from her, Mako just stared down at this pasta.

“You know Korra...” not a question, but a curious statement. Her fellow student sighed and put his fork down. “Are you the one she’s dating?”

Asami blushed and bit her lower lip. The hesitance in confirming his question caused her pangs of guilt. Over the weekend she felt so comfortable with the woman, now she almost denied it.

Why did she even consider denying it?

“Yes, we’re dating,” the volleyball player looked down at her salad and then glanced up at him.

He stared hard at her. Then he started piling up trash on his unfinished pasta.

“I’ve got to go to class,” Mako announced. His voice lacked any emotion and his face lacked any physical reaction to the news. “We should have lunch again sometime.”

The response left Asami stunned. No anger. No happiness. Just a total lack of empathy. Not that she sought his approval, but she hoped for more than the lackluster response. Especially since her own emotions were running wild about the admission to dating the dark skinned woman.

She watched him work his way through the students and dump off his trash. When he finally left her sight line she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her cheeks.

Why did the mere thought of Korra leave her feeling such a mess? She resisted the urge to text the other woman and apologize for being unable to proudly confirm their relationship status.

Just four days ago she pretty much pounced on her. She climbed into her lap and lost herself in everything that made Korra, Korra: the scent, the taste, and the feel of her. When she arrived home that night she spent a great deal of time on her bed, legs spread, hand between them, imagining Korra above her doing so many things to her.

It’d left her exhausted, barely physically fulfilled, and emotionally volatile. The act of masturbation was something she did not participate in very often and even when she did she kept it short. She found herself quite surprised to have spent an hour with the vivid thoughts swirling around in her head.

But the lack of the shorter woman, the lack of her body, her voice, her scent, and everything else about her, left her wanton for more, and left a big hole inside of her.

She struggled to sleep after that. Every day since, her distracted thoughts kept her from fully functioning, and from fully enjoying the things, like working on her car, that once gave her pleasure.

Why _did_ she hesitate to confirm Mako’s question?

“Someone looks like they need a strong drink.”

Asami looked up just as woman shorter than Korra sat down in the seat Mako previously occupied.

“Hey Tuyen.”

Tuyen, a small, frail looking young woman in a blue one piece dress with long, wiry dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail, grinned at her and took the fork from her salad and picked up where Asami had left off. She laughed at her friend. In spite of her small size and thin frame she ate like, well, like Korra.

The thought of Korra helped her distressed face return full force.

“Okay seriously, I don’t think I’ve seen you look this upset since we had to write a four page sonnet for that French Literature course we took two years ago,” the small woman took a few more bites of the now shared salad, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” the raven haired woman lied. “Just another date dad set me up on that didn’t work.”

“Yeah. I walked by earlier and saw that stiff. He looked so uptight I bet he craps diamonds,” her commentary made Asami laugh, “But I’m pretty sure he’s not why you’re upset. Could your problem have more to do with why you haven’t been coming over to drink wine and make fun of those car shows on the discovery channel for the last couple of weeks?”

She sighed and fiddled with the napkin next to her plate, “Maybe.”

Her friend scooted forward and rested her elbows on the table, “Okay! Spill it!”

Asami took a deep breath, “Well... I started seeing someone recently.”

Tuyen snorted, “What else is new?”

“Do you want me to tell you or do you just want to make comments?”

The short woman put on a serious face, “Sorry. Continue.”

When the engineering student felt sure she had her friend’s proper attention she resumed, “She’s great. Beyond great. Funny, cute, a very nice body, and so sweet and thoughtful. She asked me if she could call me her girlfriend and I thought I was going to die from how adorable she looked and the innocence of the question...”

A glance at the other woman told her that Tuyen wanted to comment but somehow managed to squelch the desire.

“And then this guy, Mako, asks me if I’m seeing her—which, by the way, is a huge coincidence that he is actually a roommate of hers and something I didn’t even know until just five minutes ago—and I hesitated to say yes,” the raven haired woman looked down in her lap. Her heart hurt from the memory.

“Okay,” her friend took another bite of the salad and chewed loudly, “It sounds like you really like her and that you just feel bad that you didn’t announce right away that the two of you are dating. Do I have that right?”

Asami nodded.

“Is it because she’s a woman?”

“What? No! Not at all. You know my track record,” she blushed and Tuyen grinned ear to ear. “I don’t know why I hesitated.”

“Maybe you like that guy and you subconsciously want to date him?”

Tuyen laughed when she stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes.

“Okay, okay, that’s not it,” the wiry haired student tapped the side of her cheek and placed the fork in the now empty bowl. “How long have you two been seeing each other? At least two weeks, right?”

“About three weeks, yeah,” Asami chewed the inside of her cheek and began to pile up her trash into the now empty bowl. She snagged the bottle of water before her friend could finish that, too.

“So three weeks in your time is like at least a dozen times slept together and by now you’d be looking for a new conquest or immersing yourself in your work-”

“Actually,” the taller woman cut her off, “We haven’t slept together, yet.”

The way Tuyen’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull offended her greatly. Asami pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I don’t always sleep with people I date.”

Irritation soaked into her veins when her friend snorted and then laughed loudly. She glared daggers at the other woman while she waited for her to compose herself and stop that insulting laughter. Although it didn’t really bother her that much. She’d long ago grown used to Tuyen’s teasing. And truth be told, she couldn’t deny many of her past encounters.

“Okay! I needed that, I really did,” Tuyen’s laughter finally subsided and she wiped away her fake tears, “So you really haven’t slept with her?”

Asami just shook her head this time.

“Wow. I mean, joking aside, just wow. She must be something really special for you to wait.”

The volleyball player bit her lower lip and looked anywhere but her friend, “It’s not for lack of trying. She just wants to wait.”

Tuyen grunted and looked down at her nails, “And you said you would.”

“Well, yeah,” Asami faltered and furrowed her brows. What was so difficult to understand about this decision?

“But you want to do it with her?”

Another blush crept up her cheeks and she mumbled, “Well, yeah.”

“But you’re willing to wait.”

A pause followed and the raven haired woman pinched the bridge of her nose, “Look, if you’re just gonna go back and forth like this...”

“She must mean a lot to you,” Tuyen rested her head in her hands and smiled. “For you to wait and also want her. You’ve looked a little frustrated the past couple days in classes, kind of like how you looked when I sat down.”

Asami sighed, “So it’s just me wanting to sleep with her, then.”

The smaller woman blew a dry raspberry, “Really? That’s your conclusion? Let me ask you something, if she came up to you right now and asked you to wait six months until you could sleep together, would you?”

Of course, Asami thought. She would have no problem waiting for Korra. Even if it meant her failing out of school because of her lack of concentration on anything not involving the dark skinned woman.

“I’m going to take it by your silence that yes, you would. And so let me ask you this, how did it feel when that stick-in-the-mud guy asked you if you were dating her?”

“It felt,” the taller woman swallowed and closed her eyes, “It hurt. My chest hurt just thinking about her.”

This time her friend did not respond right away. Only silence came from the opposite side of the table. Some time passed and still no words, so she lifted her head to see Tuyen staring at her like a deer in headlights.

“What’s the diagnosis, doctor?” Asami turned her wry sense of humor on to defend herself from the pain. If she couldn’t manage this long without sleeping with Korra, it only meant bad things.

“You’ve fallen for her,” the smaller woman finally whispered. “You’ve gone and fallen for someone. Wow.”

“What?” The words sounded foreign to her ears. She blinked and shook her head. “No-”

“Yes! You totally have. Your chest hurt. Let me guess, you haven’t talked to her or seen her for a few days? I’m willing to bet that you hesitated to respond about her being your girlfriend because you don’t want to admit how close you’ve become with her. What is her name, anyways? I’m getting a little tired of saying ‘her’.”

“Korra,” Asami mumbled and immediately felt heat blooming in her chest and stomach. She struggled to comprehend the explanation her friend gave. It didn’t make any sense. And yet, it all felt so right.

Tuyen reached out and shook her shoulders, “Korra has you all tied up in knots. I’d bet a million dollars that you’re probably already in lo-”

The raven haired woman reached up and clamped a hand over the smaller girl’s mouth. Her ears burned and her heart raced a mile a second. Three weeks of feelings came crashing down on her in just a few minutes and she still hadn’t crawled out from under the rubble.

“Don’t say it.”

Her friend pulled her hand away and then patted it gently.

“You’re only afraid of your feelings for her. That guilt about hesitating? I think you’re just trying to distract from the main reason and that’s because just the mere thought of Korra sends you into a whirl. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Asami inhaled slowly, “I know hardly anything about her. We’ve hung out together less times than the fingers on my hand and most of the time all I’m thinking about is her body or the way her hair feels in my fingers or how adorable her smile is. Isn’t this just lust?”

“So go and do it with her and get it out of your system,” her friend pursed her lips and shook her head.

The volleyball player lowered her gaze down. Get it out of her system? Would that mean she would lose interest in the snowboarder? Would Korra lose interest in her? There were so many things she wanted to do with her. She wanted to go skiing on the mountain with her and take her for a real fast drive down a long road somewhere and lay out under the stars and feel her arms around her. If she just went and satisfied her lust so quickly, wouldn’t that mean she’d no longer have any interest in spending time with the muscled woman?

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this quiet for so long about someone. My little Asami is growing up!”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head at Tuyen, “Shut up.”

“Asami and Korra sittin’ in a tree, K I S S I N G”

The outburst into song drew the attention of several students sitting nearby and Asami dipped her head in embarrassment.

Yet, a small part of her actually enjoyed hearing her name with her girlfriend’s.

It sounded so nice.

 

 

All the same, the acknowledgment of her feelings were easier said than done. She pondered Tuyen’s words and her own feelings the entire drive home from school.

Asami hadn’t considered the true depth of how Korra made her feel while she spent time with the other woman. The distraction of learning about her, sitting next to her, kissing her, and every other little thing kept her from having to analyze her emotions. Things were so easy, flowed so nicely, why would she bother looking down deep into that river of feelings?

The more she thought about it the more she realized it was not a river, but an ocean. A deep, wide, scary ocean with parts so dark and undiscovered that it would take someone with far more guts than herself to dive down and explore.

However, just the mere thought of Korra with some nondescript person, not herself, sent jealous vibes down her spine.

Asami groaned and leaned her head back.

She’d never felt like this with anyone else.

They were all flings. Sex sometimes good, sometimes bad. No one ever lasted longer than a few weeks and she never felt so frustrated about one of her lovers that she needed to masturbate.

The worst part: she and Korra still had yet to do anything beyond kiss and feel each other up. Asami felt like a giddy school girl every moment she spent with the snowboarder. Those things she took for granted doing with everyone else now seemed so new, so addicting, and so much more wonderful.

Tuyen had read her like a child’s first book. She could see through Asami’s misgivings and hesitations. Her best friend had to explain to her her own feelings. It made her feel stupid. At the same time she wondered if without that guidance she would have dismissed this as a needy desire for sex and nothing more.

What to do now?

Too early for a confession of love.

Too early for sex.

Did she even deserve someone like Korra?

Even though the dark skinned woman expressed she didn’t care about Asami’s past, she said it not knowing anything about her. Surely she’d change her mind once she found out.

The volleyball player sighed and put the car in park. She turned it off and hit the button to close the garage door. For several moments she sat in the car, not moving, barely breathing, until finally she opened and climbed out.

She fished her phone from her pocket and swiped to Korra’s text from three days ago. No text followed it, not from herself, not from the snowboarder.

Asami sighed and typed, _Sorry for not replying sooner. Got busy with school. Hope you’re doing well and I miss you... a lot._

She scanned the words and then hit send.

No need to rush anything. They both had time.

The raven haired woman grabbed her bag and entered the house. She tossed her keys on the counter and grabbed the carton of almond milk from her fridge. In the middle of drinking straight from the carton her phone began ringing. She quickly set the carton down and picked up her phone.

The name caused a smile to spread across her face.

“Hey,” she said as she pushed the device up against the side of her head.

On the other end of the line that familiar contralto-like voice graced her ears and she immediately relaxed and leaned against the counter top.

“Hi! I’m on break right now so I don’t have much time to talk. I guess I should have texted you first to see if calling you was okay, but I just got excited to see your response. And I guess I just wanted to hear your voice,” Korra rambled quickly but Asami understood everything.

She grinned when she heard Bolin in the background poking fun at his dark skinned roommate.

“Don’t worry about it. You can call me anytime,” she inhaled sharply and reeled herself in, “I mean, I may not always answer, but I like to hear your voice as well.”

That didn’t reveal too much, right?

“I’ll take you up on that!”

The raven haired woman laughed and she could imagine her girlfriend’s bright blue eyes twinkling from that goofy smile.

She cleared her throat, “So how is work tonight?”

Korra groaned, “Kuvira, my boss, totally has it out for me. I think it’s because she loves Bolin so much and she’s jealous that he and I are so close.”

In the background Bolin made a noise of contention and she could actually hear the smack, likely him hitting her arm.

“Anyways! I should be done in a few hours. Then sleep and gym at eight in the morning. Are you busy this Friday?”

Asami’s smile dimmed, “Actually, yeah. My dad is hosting a conference and wants me to go with him. I’ll be gone all weekend.”

“Oh,” Korra’s end quieted suddenly.

“But maybe I’ll drop by your gym tomorrow, if you’re okay with that? I’m sure I could use some tips on my form from some pros. Or at least just one pro.”

“Yeah! I’d love to see you there. Just ask for me when you show up.”

“Sounds like a date then.”

She could hear a door slam and a military-like voice come clean and clear through the phone.

“Break’s over! Back to work!”

“Agh! Okay, hey, I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, go back. Thanks for calling.”

“Anytime sweetheart.”

The line went dead and Asami pulled the device up against her chest. Her heart thudded and her throat swelled.

A simple phone call evoked such happiness and warmth.

That deep ocean had long since begun pulling her in. She just hoped she could figure out how to swim before she drowned.


	6. Chapter 6

Korra watched the clock like a hawk for almost three hours straight. By eleven she had given up when she felt a smack on her back—the kind of smack that only belonged to Bolin when his excitement outweighed his ability to remember to contain his strength. She flexed and winced as she sat up from where she was re-racking weights left out by some of the more bulky and lazy members.

“She’s here and talking to Beifong!”

She followed her roommate’s frantic gesture towards the front desk and felt her pulse rise. “Finish these for me!” Korra left the rest of the weights for Bolin and jogged quickly through the machines towards the two women.

Lin Beifong, the owner and manager of the gym, stood with her arms crossed over her chest and her back straight and rigid. She sported a dark green polo and a pair of gray shorts. For a woman in her fifties she had a body that many envied. Her broad shoulders accented her muscled arms and her thin waist helped define her thick thighs and hips. The only part that gave away her age was her cropped, silver hair.

She took a deep breath and smiled broadly, “Heeey Asami!”

The dark haired woman practically beamed and shifted the duffel bag on her shoulder. Korra bit her lip and let her eyes gaze down Asami’s figure before snapping back to Beifong.

“This is Asami! I told her to stop by and give this gym a try! She’s thinking about switching,” she hoped the older woman would buy her fib. “So I’ll just give her a tour around and we can-”

“You’re busy cleaning up. I’ll give her a tour if she’s interested.”

Korra’s shoulders slumped and she pouted her lower lip out. “But-”

“I don’t remember hiring you to give tours,” Beifong set her lips into a thin line and raised an eyebrow. Korra and Bolin knew this as her ‘not budging another inch’ stance. Solid rock had nothing on this woman.

Asami piped up before she could respond, “I was actually hoping Korra would show me around. I’m not very comfortable around people I don’t know and switching from working out at home to working out in public is a big step for me.”

“Yeah!” The dark skinned woman held her breath and thought about how she definitely owed her girlfriend for playing along.

The silver haired woman took a deep breath and then pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine, show her around. But don’t forget you still have to wash the showers before you leave. Miss-”

“Sato,” Asami supplied quickly.

“Miss Sato. I look forward to you becoming a member. And know that we are very spacious, so you won’t feel overly crowded while you’re here.”

When the older woman turned on her heel, and marched away from the desk and into her office, Korra finally exhaled. Her girlfriend giggled and covered her mouth to keep the sound from drifting.

“I should have warned you about her,” she sighed and rubbed her head. “She’s strict about how the gym is run. But she’s cool otherwise.”

Asami smiled, “You have some pretty tough bosses.”

“Yeah, yeah I do. But that’s okay. It’s not work if it’s not hard, right?”

The two laughed and Korra held her arm out, “This way into The Steel Gym, aptly named because of all the exposed steel framing and because of all the metal in the weight lifting area.”

“Is it really named after that?” the taller woman sounded skeptical. They walked from the front desk through an open door frame and into a room filled with exercise bikes, treadmills, and elliptical machines.

Korra shrugged her shoulders, “Who knows? It’s what Bolin and I tell people when they ask about it. Beifong has never explained why. She just always says ‘Because that’s what the name is’ when people ask about it. As you can tell, she’s a barrel full of laughs.”

“She seems nice enough to me. Although I had only just asked for you when you ran over with that terrified look in your eyes.”

“Well that’s because she scares people away! I told her if she would just smile at least once a day that maybe we’d get more people in here who weren’t just muscle heads and boxers and fighters,” Korra leaned up against a treadmill and smiled at her girlfriend.

The other woman sported her leather jacket over the top of a white buttoned shirt, hip hugging black jeans, and black heeled boots. Korra really liked her in that leather jacket. She opened her mouth to comment on it but got the wind knocked out of her instead.

“I see you saved her, eh Korra?!” Only Bolin would have hit her that hard. “Hi there again, Asami. How do you like our humble place of sweat?”

Her girlfriend grinned and shifted the duffel bag to her other shoulder, “It’s quaint. Kind of like that old school Rocky feeling while also being modern at the same time. Seems like your type of place, Bolin.”

“It is! I’m the one who got Korra this job. Even though all she does is mop and rack weights.”

Korra grabbed Asami by her arm and pulled her towards the locker rooms, “Let’s get you changed and I’ll show you something more than just mopping and racking.”

Once inside the women’s locker room she sighed and rubbed her hands on her shorts. Her cheeks felt flushed from the thorough embarrassment. She shook her head and waved towards the stalls and the lockers, “So you can change here and I’ll wait outside and-”

Asami cut her off by kissing her softly. She inhaled the other woman’s scent which never failed to have a tinge of motor oil, though this time she also smelled lilacs.

“Hey there,” her girlfriend rubbed her nose against hers. She slid her arms inside the leather jacket and rested them on Asami’s waist.

“Sorry about all that. I’m not really much more than a janitor.”

The dark haired woman pressed a kiss against her nose, “So what?”

Korra looked down at a pair of ruby red lips. She didn’t really have a reply to that comment and simply kept quiet.

“I’m going to change and then we can work out together, as long as it won’t get you in trouble with your boss.”

She nodded her head and sighed when the other woman pulled away from her. “It should be okay. Besides, it’s close to lunch and she always goes out to eat. I think because she spends like ten hours a day here she probably prefers to get out every so often.”

Asami moved a dozen feet away, still in sight of her, and began stripping her clothes away from her body. Korra tried not to look, but she couldn’t help stealing glances. This is her girlfriend, not some stranger, she thought.

The other woman pretended not to notice her staring and quietly changed into shorts a tank top. Korra saw her already in a sports bra, her slim, flat belly, the way her thighs made a V shape against her hips, and she had to keep herself from drooling. When she raised her eyes back up she swore she saw Asami blushing. But both women averted their eyes quickly.

“All set,” the college student announced and Korra took a deep breath and turned around.

They matched: each in tank tops and shorts. The only differences in the color scheme (Korra wore blue and Asami black) and Korra’s beat up old sneakers to Asami’s practically brand new looking pair.

She led the other woman out back through the main area of the gym. “Got any preference where to start?”

“How about you give me a glimpse into your daily workout?”

Korra tilted her head in thought and then led her girlfriend to the treadmills. “A quick jog for a warm up and then some weightlifting. It varies from day to day, but I’ll give you an every other day standard.”

They each took off at their own paces but soon matched each other in speed. Korra found herself surprised at the other woman’s strides and very distracted at the way those long leg muscles flexed.

“So what is the conference for?”

Asami puffed a bit and brushed her hair back over her ears, “It’s a yearly thing involving aero engineers from all fields. Anyone involved in creating the mechanisms for flight is invited to join to see new prototypes and discuss avionics and the like. As much as I seem annoyed at going it is actually a very useful hub for making connections and learning new things.”

The dark skinned woman nodded her head and increased the incline, “Sounds neat. Why would you be annoyed at going?”

“Because,” her engineering girlfriend hesitated, “Because I’d miss you. And well, you should know, my dad is the type who thinks he has to help find me someone. So it always turns into me talking to ‘eligible bachelors’. Kind of annoying.”

“Oh,” Korra felt a good sweat working and she pushed herself to go faster.

“Don’t worry. I plan on telling him about us. So maybe this weekend won’t be so bad. I’ll actually get to talk shop instead of dates.”

The two jogged next to each other in silence for a few minutes. Korra didn’t know what to say. On one hand she felt extremely happy that Asami planned on telling her father. On the other hand she wondered why the woman’s father put so much emphasis on finding her someone to date.

It confused the snowboarder. She punched a button on the treadmill and walked off to the floor. “I’m warmed up. How about you?”

Asami finished and joined her. The dark haired woman had a sheen of sweat along her skin and Korra licked her lips and tore her eyes away. Down a short hall and into a larger part of the gym had a room full of weights and other machines designed to work the muscles.

In the corner, Bolin stood above a large guy and spotted for him while the guy lifted a bar with probably around 200 lbs of weight on it. A few others, all men, worked out by themselves with headphones on.

Korra led her girlfriend to some barbells and the two started doing free weight exercises involving the shoulders and arms for almost half an hour.

“Do you... do you think....” the snowboarder trailed off and frowned as she placed her weights back on the rack.

Asami continued her lifts, pushing the weights above her head and making her shoulder muscles bulge on each up thrust. “Do I think what?” She huffed as she finished her last rep and gladly handed the weights to the shorter woman.

“Nothing, never mind,” Korra gave her a weak smile and shook her head.

“Hey. No. Not nothing. I want you to feel comfortable around me. You can ask me anything. Although I may not necessarily answer...” the engineering major picked up her water bottle and took a swig. She smiled and nodded her head encouragingly.

Korra took a deep breath and brushed her hair back. The wet strands stuck against the side of her head. She rubbed the back of her neck. “This is getting kind of serious, you and me?”

Asami put the water bottle down and bit her lower lip.

Korra thought she looked absolutely stunning all flushed, red, sweaty, and unsure of herself. The self confidence that normally encompassed her girlfriend disappeared for a brief moment and it made the snowboarder feel proud to have been the cause.

“Yeah. It is. Do you want to do some squats?”

She had to suppress a groan in her throat. Watching Asami in shorts bending down and having her bottom jut out while being all sweaty overloaded her brain.

“Sounds good,” she croaked.

 

 

 

 

“We’re hoOOOoome!” Bolin burst through the door of the apartment and threw his bag onto the ground next to the pile of his and Korra’s shoes. She followed in, kicked off her shoes, and plopped down onto the couch.

When no reply came from down the hall, Bolin shouted even louder, “MAKO DARLING. WE HAVE RETURNED FROM A LONG DAY OF WORK!”

Korra grinned and turned the TV on. She wanted a good distraction after such a long day. Once Asami left she not only had to mop the showers but she had to mop the entire gym floor. Beifong didn’t take kindly to her spending an entire hour of her work day working out instead of doing work.

“I heard you,” came the muffled reply from the farthest bedroom. The door swung open and Mako walked out holding a mug in one hand and a book in the other. “Has it ever occurred to you that I’m busy?”

“Yes, yes it has occurred to me. And that’s why I do what I do,” Bolin took a slab of beef from the freezer and dropped it onto the counter. “I’m going to make Hamburger Helper and was wondering if you wanted mashed potatoes or garlic bread on the side?”

“I already ate,” the older man poured some water into the tea kettle and kept his eyes on an open page of his book. “You should try eating something other than that processed crap. Aren’t you a body builder? Aren’t body builders supposed to have a specific diet?”

“I’m a weight lifter and yeah, we’re supposed to. But I’m poor. I can only eat what I can afford. This is what I can afford,” the younger of the brothers made a face as he turned the heat on the stove and put the pan down. “What say you Korra? Potatoes or bread?”

Korra, who pretended to ignore the slight squabble, turned her head from the TV and shrugged, “Potatoes I guess?”

Mako looked over at her and bit his lip. She smiled at him and turned back to the commercial playing on the screen.

“How are you and Asami?”

The dark skinned girl looked back to Mako and rested her arm over the back of the couch, “Oh? Bolin told you... we’re good! You should meet her sometime. I think you two would get along.”

“I did meet her. For lunch.”

Korra frowned a little and Bolin stopped his actions and turned theatrically towards his brother. “You had lunch with Korra’s girlfriend!?”

Mako merely raised a thick eyebrow and poured the now hot water into his mug. He stirred in some coffee grounds. “Yes. I work for her father. He suggested we be friends.”

“And when were you planning on telling Korra?”

Bolin’s outrage made the snowboarder feel a little better. “It’s not that big of a deal, Bolin.”

The muscled brother sighed and returned to his cooking. He grumbled something that Korra couldn’t hear. She turned back towards the TV and then rose to her feet.

“What do you think of her?” she asked as she moved around to the side of the couch and perched on the arm. He had her curiosity peaked.

Mako took a deep breath and lifted his eyes from his book, “Honestly?”

Korra nodded.

“She’s using you. For sex.”

Bolin turned his head, jaw dropped, and Korra furrowed her brows. This was not an answer she was expecting.

“Fuck you Mako!”

“Bolin...” Korra sighed.

“No! Korra, seriously, I got this. Fuck you Mako! What a terrible thing to say to someone and about someone,” he looked like he wanted to punch his brother but then returned to the frying beef to keep it from getting burnt. “Fucking horrible.”

The older brother took a breath and rolled his eyes, “She asked me my opinion and that is my opinion. End of story.”

“You-”

Korra cut Bolin off before he could say anything he’d regret, “Thank you, Mako. But I am very curious. Why do you think she’s using me?”

Somehow Bolin managed to remain silent in spite of the red in the cheeks of his face. She continued to sit, not moving, and hands flexing nervously against her thighs.

“The word around campus is she’s never been in a relationship for very long and it’s always about sex. Guys, girls, take your pick. She’s obviously doing the rich girl thing where she gets her rocks off and then drops people like they’re a bad habit. I’m saying this for your own benefit, Korra. She’s bad news. You may think you two are connecting and the sex is great, but if she hasn’t dumped you now, she will soon,” he inhaled deeply and then huffed at his brother.

Bolin stared at him wide eyed and jaw dropped.

The dark skinned woman smiled and lowered her head. “Thank you for that, Mako. I appreciate the warning. And,” Korra lifted her head and her brows, “I never knew how much you were looking out for me. Honestly. Thank you.”

This seemed to confuse him. He shifted again and then nodded his head at her, then his brother, and then excused himself to his room.

Once he left earshot Bolin stepped away from the stove and waved his hands, “He just called your girlfriend a slut and you’re thanking him?! Korra, I seriously don’t understand.”

Korra sat up from the arm of the couch and went to the cupboards next to the fridge. She took out the instant potato mix and a bowl. “It’s okay, Bolin. Really. Your brother is a nice guy, no matter how hard he tries to show he isn’t.”

The muscled man shook his head and picked up the browned meat off the stove to drain into the sink, “He’s got some ulterior motive, I feel it.” While he put the noodles and mix into the pan she boiled some more water and readied the potatoes. “Do you believe that stuff about Asami?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Do you?”

“No!”

“What if it turned out to be true?”

Bolin paused and then continued stirring, “Does it bother you?”

“I think that,” the snowboarder took out a couple bowls, “is more pertinent. Don’t you?”

He sighed and nodded his head. “So does it?”

Korra smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

The two sat down for dinner and the subject changed to the weightlifting tournament in Ba Sing Se that happened earlier in the day. She listened to the Olympic hopeful drone on and on about technique and how he could out perform at least half the competitors.

Her mind wandered to Asami.

Every day she saw the woman she found something more to like about her. Those squats replayed in her mind over and over. It confused her. People worked out around her all the time. Yet, seeing the dark haired woman do the same movements stirred in her so many feelings and desires that she had trouble thinking straight the rest of the day.

If the woman really held the title of being the type to sleep around on campus, then why hadn’t she and Korra gone all the way? She knew she always stopped them, but she put up a flimsy paper wall at best. Asami only needed to press a little more and she would have given in to anything physical between them.

Did that mean Asami slept with people who pushed her into it?

Or did Asami just not desire her that way?

Or... something else?

“Let’s play FIFA!”

She blinked a few times and then nodded her head. A distraction is what she needed. “I’m gonna ruin your record,” the shorter woman grinned and left her dishes on the table next to his no doubt leaving another gripe for Mako in the morning.

Bolin hit the power button on the machine and tossed her a controller. While it powered up she pulled her phone out and sent a text.

_Free up next Friday. We’re going to hang all day together._

She hit the send button, looked at Asami’s picture on her phone, and then put it back in her pocket.

“You ready?” Bolin leaned forward on the couch.

“Yup,” she bit her lip and smiled. “I’m ready.”


	7. Chapter 7

“I’ve got our itinerary all set up. We’ll hit the engine booths first and then go on around to the blades and aerodynamics. Of course I’ll want to talk business with some of the fellows and you’re free to explore on your own if that ends up getting a little lengthy,” her father flipped through a folded pamphlet and stroked his mustache while muttering things in between about how he could run a better conference.

Asami sat on the chair in his hotel room and looked through her own pamphlet, which was the same except that she had hers marked with colored tabs indicating where she wanted and needed to go. Both she and her father went for a more laid back appearance, each donning jeans and polo shirts with their company’s logo across the left breast. She had her hair in a loose ponytail and only put on a bare minimum of makeup.

“And you should definitely meet Tanbei’s son. He’s an up and coming engineer working on ‘secret’ military contracts involving the F440 and the like. But you didn’t hear that from me,” the older man chuckled.

She bit her lip and put the pamphlet down. Asami meant to bring up Korra during the plane ride but she fell asleep pretty much the moment they went above two thousand feet. Late nights working on projects, school and personal, took a greater toll on her than she originally thought.

“Dad,” she smiled at him and pushed some hair back behind her ear, “I think I ought to tell you that I’m involved with someone at the moment.”

“Oh?” he continued to peruse his pamphlet while also looking at a map of the main floor. “Do you think we should bother with the sanitary engineers? We’ve already got good waste disposal set up...”

The dark haired woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She reopened them and resumed her smile, “Her name is Korra. I really like her. Anyways, I’m telling you this because I have no intention of being set up anymore. So I’d appreciate it if you stop trying to send all these young men my way.”

Hiroshi Sato lifted his eyes and ruffled his mustache. He leaned back on the hotel room bed and brought one leg up over his other. His eyes studied her and she suddenly felt like a ten year old anticipating a lecture.

“You’re dating someone?”

The surprise that colored his tone made her heart drop a little. Not that she blamed him for not knowing, but his general disinterest in her social life outside of involving those in the aviation business often left her a little more than irritated and unappreciated.

“Yes,” she said slowly, continuing to smile. She layered her voice in sticky sweetness, “We met about a month ago.”

“Through one of your classes?”

Asami sighed, “No. At the alumni event—the one you couldn’t make because you had meetings all night.”

His eyebrows peaked, “So she’s an athlete like yourself?”

She bit the inside of her lip and nodded her head, “She’s an athlete, yes. She’s trying to become a professional snowboarder.”

Her father became silent and looked away. Whatever ticked away in his brain did so quietly and without conveying any emotion or expression. Asami frowned and had to force herself back into a smile. The old guy always appreciated her smiles. They reminded him of her mother.

“Ah well, I suppose I can let the young men know you’re currently not interested,” her father smiled and then leaned forward and pulled her into a hug. “I’ll have to meet her, you know?”

The younger Sato smiled and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. She bit back tears and fought to keep herself composed. The worry and anxiety that her father would dismiss her girlfriend as some kind of fling or experimentation seemed for naught.

“I just want you to be happy, kiddo. I figured since your passion is engineering, like mine, that you’d prefer someone in the same field. Like how I fell for your mother so long ago. No one could rebuild a transmission like her,” he patted her back and then pushed her off his shoulder to look her in the eyes. “Although if I’d known you had an interest in women, I would have gotten you a lot more dates over the years.”

Asami laughed and wiped at the corner of her eye, “Thanks, dad. I’m glad you’re okay with this.”

He straightened his back and cleared his throat, “Well, like I said, I’ll have to meet her first. I have high standards where it concerns my daughter.”

She smiled so wide it hurt her cheeks, “You’re going to love her. She’s so full of life and funny and really kind. It’s like every room she enters gets a warmer and more inviting. She's always making me laugh about something or another.”

“Sounds like quite a woman! Well, what say we get downstairs and make some rounds?”

The college student nodded her head and stood up. She grabbed her pamphlet. A knock on the door caused her father to sigh and grumble to himself. Asami half followed him and peeked over his head to see the surprise visitor.

The older Sato swung the door open. In the hall stood a man at least twice her own age. He had long dark hair pulled into a ponytail and wore a very crisp and clean Armani suit. Something about the way he looked at her father made her feel uneasy.

“Sato, I need to talk to you,” the man’s voice sounded scratchy and rough. Not once did he even look up to acknowledge her. His entire attention remained focused on her father.

Hiroshi puffed his cheeks out and looked back to his daughter, “Go on without me, Asami. Seems I’ve got some impromptu business to take care of.”

“Sure,” she said while still eyeing the other man. “I don’t believe we’ve met before, Mister—” Asami walked towards him with her hand out and he still made no eye contact with her.

Her father forced a smile and stepped between them, “Mr. Amon. I just hired him as a consultant to help some start ups in the Southern territories. He’s a bit of a stick in the mud but he sure knows his aviation business. But please do go on ahead, I’m afraid it’ll be dreadfully boring.”

Asami fingered the tabs of her pamphlet and then relented. She kissed her father’s cheek and nodded at the man as she passed by him into the hall. Both men slipped into the hotel room and she could hear the lock clicking into place behind her.

A part of her felt very tempted to go to her room, adjacent to her father’s, and try to listen in. Something didn’t sit right about any of this.

With a small sigh she shook her head and headed towards the elevator.

“He just seems creepy,” she mumbled to herself, “There’s no reason to get this worked up over something. Dad will tell me later.” The dark haired woman did her best to convince herself, but she couldn’t quite shake that nagging thought as she rode down to the first floor.

It took a half hour conversation involving the use of the radial engine versus the rotary engine during the first recorded use of airplanes in battles to forget the encounter altogether. The happiness at having her father react so calmly about her news superseded most any other emotion she felt that weekend.

 

 

 

“So then the guy from the Air Force says I still have time to join up and that he’d be sure to put me right at the top of the list for officers. This way I could have quicker access to the special projects which are supposedly way more exciting than anything I’ll ever find doing civilian projects,” the dark haired woman sat down with her tray and drink in a near empty part of the student cafeteria.

Korra sat down across from her with her own tray. They each had a huge burrito with a brownie for dessert. The only light they had in the corner came from a dim overhead bulb. Normally the area would have been naturally bright by the light of the sun, but given the late hour and the shorter fall days, the campus became engulfed in darkness more readily.

The dark skinned woman took a sip from her chocolate milk and licked her lips, “Joining up with the military, eh? Sounds like a big step.”

Asami rolled her eyes and picked up her burrito with both hands, “Like I would ever do that. I may have rock solid discipline in my own life, but I have never been the type to listen to orders from someone else. This is probably why people think I’m going to end up running my father’s business.”

“So you want to run his business?” Her girlfriend tried picking up her burrito and frowned when the contents proceeded to spill out the side and back onto the plate.

Asami giggled and then got a bean flicked at her. It bounced off her cheek and she huffed indignantly at the shorter woman. Though try as she might she couldn't really get all that mad and ended up laughing while she wiped her face.

“No,” she took a bite of the burrito, chewed, and swallowed, “I just want to design newer and better jets. Maybe even create some of my own ideas from scratch.”

Korra jabbed her fork at her now fallen apart burrito and shoved a portion into her mouth. She chewed but also talked, “Bat boots you moorb.”

“Attractive,” Asami grinned. “I think it suits me more as well.”

The two ate in silent for several moments. Asami found herself enjoying the simplicity of the late dinner. After spending almost five days without seeing the snowboarder she found she really just needed some one on one with her.

“So Mako mentioned you two had lunch,” Korra wiped her mouth with her napkin and took a big gulp of the chocolate milk in front of her.

The dark haired woman followed suit, but with a bottle of almond milk instead, “Yeah. Sorry. It actually slipped my mind.” She wiped her lips again and frowned into the napkin. Definite lipstick reapplication after dinner, she thought. “He’s an intern at my dad’s company. But I didn’t know you two were rooming together until the lunch.”

Korra nodded her head and leaned back. She had on a dark gray hoody with the lettered print ‘Lotus Mountain High’ on the front. Asami felt a little disappointed at seeing her girlfriend so covered up, but she could forgive that just for being able to spend time with her.

“Is he someone your dad tried to set up with you?”

Asami heard the shift in the other woman’s voice. The tone changed from pleasant to way more than curious. She leaned forward and reached for Korra’s hand which tapped on the table top. When it laced with hers, dark skinned fingers folding in with pale ones, she felt her heart rate pick up considerably.

“I always indulged my dad’s requests. Every time he pushed for me to try having at least one date with someone he thought I would like I figured it couldn’t hurt,” Asami felt the fingers in hers squeeze and she squeezed back. She sought out those bright blue eyes. They peered back at her and looked a little unsure, “I didn’t think of it as a date, though. Honestly, and this is no offense to your roommate, Mako didn’t leave much an impression on me.”

She inhaled slowly and rubbed her thumb on top of Korra’s hand. There seemed so many things she ought to say to her, to explain about her feelings and how she felt around the shorter woman. Everything piled up in a train wreck in the back of her throat.

Asami pulled Korra’s hand to her lips and kissed softly, “I told my dad about us this weekend. I explained that I would be entertaining no more setups and dates. I should have explained that before, but I guess I didn’t know exactly how serious this all was.”

The way the snowboarder gazed at her sent butterflies through her stomach. Something in her soft eyes, the unflinching gaze, and how the woman’s skin felt so warm in her hand put her at such ease and on high thrill all in the same heartbeat.

“I really like you, Korra.”

Her girlfriend’s mouth widened into a huge grin, so big that Asami worried her face would stay like that. The hand she’d kissed pulled her own hand across the table and her throat swelled when Korra rubbed her pale skin across that dark cheek and then turned her palm up and kissed it.

“I...” the snowboarder cleared her throat and continued to brush her cheek up and down Asami’s hand, “I’m ready. Anytime you want, anytime you’re ready. I’m ready.”

The dark haired woman tilted her head quizzically, “I think I’d like to finish my burrito before I take you home.”

Korra blushed deep and then pressed her lips along the engineering student’s finger. When she felt a soft tongue dart over the top and around to the underside of the pad, Asami inhaled sharply and felt herself blushing as well.

“Oh! You’re...” she swallowed. Her legs became jelly and blood pounded in her ears. A thousand and one thoughts flooded through her head. She couldn’t focus on anything except the way Korra gently tasted one finger, then another, and yet another.

The air around them buzzed like charged particles across a circuit board.

Eventually she had to pull her hand back and stifled a grunt when her girlfriend tried to follow across the table. Both women looked around suddenly aware and thankful that no one seemed to pay them any attention. The late hour left the cafeteria almost empty.

“Korra,” Asami picked up her bottle and took a deep drink. She worried her lower lip and willed herself to raise her eyes from the half eaten burrito. The snowboarder gazed at her. The way those blue eyes stared with such resolution and confidence made the college student think that she would take her on the table right then and there. It sent a series of chills and thrills through her spine. “If and when it happens, it happens. But I do appreciate you telling me. It’s good to know I’m not the only one with such desires.”

“You do want to... with me... that is?”

A broad smile formed on the engineering major’s face. She adored the sweetness of her girlfriend and the little things the woman did and said to make her feel so comfortable.

“Very much my little bundle of muscles. But that doesn’t mean I want to rush into it,” Asami picked up her burrito as a distraction from the way her hand tingled with the searing presses of Korra’s lips and tongue, “I like what we have. And I want to take my time with you. If that makes sense?”

Her girlfriend began laughing and hugged her arms around her hoody clad torso, “Bundle of muscles? What kind of nickname is that?”

Asami grinned and shook her head, “Well you are! You’re this sexy little bundle of muscles. You obviously never skip arm day. And I love it when you wrap those arms around me.”

“I’m sexy, eh?” Korra waggled her eyebrows and then bit her lip. The shorter woman leaned back and lifted her sweatshirt up and over her head leaving her in a sleeveless shirt. She tossed the hoody on the chair next to her and then lifted an arm up and flexed it. Her bicep muscle bulged, “I guess I can see that.”

The dark haired woman swallowed, blinked a few times, and forced herself to bite into her burrito. No way could she handle this after the discussion they just had. Too much sex on her brain.

Korra picked her fork up and resumed eating. Between bites she asked, “Are you looking forward to Friday?”

“How can I look forward to it if you won’t tell me what we’re doing?!” Asami tried asking her when they met up for dinner but her girlfriend stayed adamant about it being a surprise.

“I think you’ll like it. I’m pretty sure you’ll like it. Well, if you don’t end up liking it, just tell me sooner than later, this way she can skip out and do something different,” the snowboarder waved her fork around as she babbled.

“If I get to spend the day with you, I’m already excited.”

Korra relaxed and smiled, “Yeah. I like being with you, too. You don’t mind that I’m having you drive, do you? I’m saving up to get a car, although I probably should focus on getting my driver’s license, first.”

Asami raised an eyebrow, “You don’t have your license yet? You could have gotten it when you were 16. Why wait so long?”

The dark skinned woman shrugged one shoulder, “Don’t really need it living on the mountain. Just had to get a permit for driving snowmobiles. Besides, I’m only 18, so it hasn’t been that long of a wait.”

Asami nearly choked on her burrito. She set the last bit down and thumped her chest, “You’re only 18?”

Her girlfriend blinked a few times, “Yeah?”

“Wow,” the taller woman shook her head and rubbed her cheeks, “I thought you were older than that. I guess, well, yeah. Okay. That’s okay.”

“Is it?”

“It is! I just thought you were closer to my age,” Asami’s ears burned and she laughed, “You’re really mature for an 18 year old.”

Korra smirked, “Oh thanks. I think. How old are you?”

“21. 22 in January. I feel like I'm robbing the cradle here.”

“That's barely even three years difference. My birthday is in March,” the dark skinned woman rolled her eyes. “Would it be better if I were older?”

“What? No. Age doesn't matter,” Asami shook her head and exhaled, “I'm only surprised because I really did think you were older. As long as you're not underage, because then I think we'd have to cease the hanky panky part.”

“Then I'm very glad I'm 18,” Korra pursed her lips and nodded.

The college student smiled and sat up. She leaned over the table and pressed her lips onto her girlfriend’s cheek, which she felt puff out. Asami turned her head and nipped that cute dark earlobe, “Let’s finish eating, find some mints, and go make out, okay?”

This turned the snowboarder’s mood right around and when Asami leaned back she watched the woman practically inhale the rest of her burrito. The sight made her giggle.

She really loved Korra.


	8. Chapter 8

“We’re going to the mountain?”

Korra leaned back in the passenger seat after she punched in the address on the GPS. She crossed her arms over her chest. Earlier that morning she showed up at Asami’s and directed her to put on some warm clothes. They had a cup of hot cocoa and then hit the road.

“Yep! It’s early, yet, for any good skiing, but my aunt says there is enough snow to at least go sledding. Plus, I should go visit my parents. I haven’t seen my family in over three months,” she stared out the window and sighed. Her features twisted and she turned back to the dark haired woman, “Um, I mean, not that you have to meet my parents. It’s totally cool if you want to stay at the lodge while I run over and visit them.”

Asami grinned and turned the radio on to a news station. She turned it down low enough that it wouldn’t muddle the conversation but loud enough that the voices could still be understood.

“It’s fine, Korra. I’d love to meet your parents. As for playing in the snow, I don’t know, because you only made me bring sweatshirts and thick socks and jeans...”

“Well, yeah, we got everything else you’d need. Snowsuits, gloves, hats, and scarves. If my aunt doesn’t have any of it ready we have a ton of it back at the house,” the younger of the two took a breath and wiggled in the seat, “I thought it’d be another month or month and a half before we had a good snow up there. I planned on asking you to go boarding with me, but when my aunt texted me about this freak snow I couldn’t wait. I love the snow.”

The dark haired woman shifted gears and settled into a steady speed on the highway. She reached over, took Korra’s hand in hers, and rested them both on top of the stick.

“What is your aunt’s name, again?”

“Kya.”

Asami nodded, “What about your parents?”

The snowboarder tilted her head and smirked, “Mom and dad?”

Her girlfriend giggled, “Of course, silly. I’m talking about their names.”

“Oh,” she cleared her throat, “Tonraq and Senna. You’ll love my mom. My dad is a bit hard to get to know at first, but he means well.”

A glance over at the dashboard told Korra that the other woman didn’t care much for speed limits, whether in the city or out on the highway. Thankfully the early morning left the roads clear of any heavy traffic.

“I’ll be curious to see who you take after the most,” the engineering student grinned and squeezed her hand.

The simple affection made her skin tingle.

She laughed, “People say my dad. I like to think that I take after both of them, however.” Korra slowly dragged her thumb pad in lazy circles on the other woman’s pinky, “Hey, we should stop off at the exit before the mountain road and eat at the diner there. They have amazing omelets.”

“Sounds good.”

Both women settled into a comfortable silence while listening to the weather report which boasted clear skies but freezing temps up on the slopes. In the city the report predicted light rain and well above freezing, but still cold.

Twenty minutes passed before Asami broke the silence, “Since we’ll probably get back late tonight do you want to stay overnight at my place? I think you mentioned you don’t have to work tomorrow and I thought it’d be nice to have you around for a little longer.”

“Overnight?” Korra cursed her squeaking voice. The suggestion took her by surprise.

“I want to emphasize that I have no expectations. If it makes you feel better I’ll even take the couch and you can have my bed.”

The dark skinned woman smiled at her girlfriend and laced their fingers together, “You know, I debated asking you to stay the night up on the mountain with me, but I thought it’d be too forward.”

Asami’s eyebrows raised, “I can just as easily drop you off at your place-”

Korra cut her off, “I’d love to stay the night. No expectations here, either.”

She leaned over and pressed her lips against the taller woman’s cheek. The reaction from the action made her more happy than the feel of Asami’s soft skin on her lips. Her girlfriend puffed a little and obviously debated on taking her eyes off the road and turning the peck into a real kiss.

“How is your volleyball team doing?”

“Fine,” the college student grunted a little, “Our season is going to end soon. Unfortunately we didn’t win enough games to go to the regional tournament. It was fun while it lasted.”

“I’m going to make sure to go to your last few games. I love watching you play. You do this funny thing with your eyebrows when you get really into it,” Korra readjusted her seat and leaned back, “Plus you make that uniform look downright tasty.”

“Good to know I can entertain you with my looks.”

The shorter woman sat up, “Oh! You play really well, also! I mean, as far as I know. Which, to say, is not much. But you can really spike that ball when they manage to get you a good set up!”

Her girlfriend laughed. Without unclasping their hands she managed to downshift while moving on the exit ramp that led to the diner Korra talked about. The move impressed the snowboarder.

“I think next spring I’ll make you join a team with me and we can play together. You’re too short for positions up by the net, but I bet you could serve the heck out of the ball with those guns.”

As the taller woman pulled into the parking lot, Korra smiled to herself and tried not to think of the way her heart swelled inside her chest.

She wondered if Asami even noticed herself making future plans for them.

 

 

After two large omelets and an hour of driving through winding mountain roads, the two finally arrived at a modest ski lodge, and, just as her aunt described, a blanket of snow covered the grounds. The bright sun gleamed and Korra brought down the visor to shield her eyes.

Asami carefully maneuvered through the recently plowed road and into the parking lot where Korra directed her. Once her girlfriend shifted to park she hopped out onto the cold snow-crunched ground and inhaled deeply.

“I missed you!”

From the other side of the car her girlfriend stood up and pulled on a thick, hooded sweatshirt, “Missed who?”

“The mountain! The snow! The crisp air! It’s so nostalgic!”

“It’s only been five months,” drawled a voice from the edge of the lot.

Korra turned and smiled wide, “Aunt Kya!”

At the base of the stairs stood a slightly taller woman at least three times her own age. She had a full head of white-gray hair pulled into a loose bun on the top of her head with several strands hanging down the back. Her thick bangs framed her face. The two had similar skin color—a dark bronze—and matching blue eyes. Anyone unfamiliar with their family would think the woman her own mother.

Kya wore a thick blue and green sweater, jeans, and knee high furred boats, and otherwise seemed unaffected by the chilled air.

She walked over and pulled her aunt into a hug.

“Korra, dear, how are you?”

“Great,” she blushed and turned to Asami, “This is Asami. She’s my girlfriend. Asami, this is Aunt Kya.”

The dark haired student offered a very sweet smile and stepped closer with her hand held out, “Nice to meet you.”

“Girlfriend?” Kya raised her eyebrows and scanned the engineering major.

Her aunt’s action made Korra run her hands through her hair nervously. She then put them both in the pocket of her hooded sweatshirt and wrung them.

Next thing she knew the gray haired woman elbowed her and winked, “She’s even better looking in person.”

Asami blushed. Korra buried her head down into the sweatshirt.

Kya laughed and side stepped her girlfriend’s hand and pulled her into a hug, “It is wonderful to meet you, Asami. Come inside!” Her aunt let go of Asami but then grabbed her hand and led her up the steps.

The snowboarder shook her head and followed them.

“Wow, that’s a great arch. And I love the look of polished pine. If I ever get the chance to design and build my own house, my bedroom is definitely going to be pine,” her girlfriend laid it on a little thick, but Korra felt endeared by the action.

“My father actually designed this place. He could carve wood like no one’s business,” the gray haired woman pulled Asami’s arm into her own and led her to some comfy couches facing a wide window. The three settled down, Kya and Asami next to each other on one couch and Korra sitting on the adjacent. “Before he passed he made so many toys for Korra. Remember them?”

How could she forget? She had a chest full of them back in her bedroom. “I loved the wolves the best. But the bears also turned out pretty neat. I don’t know how many rabbits I have left, since I was always making the wolves attack them,” the short haired woman shook her head and smiled. “I bet you and my grandfather would have been best friends. He was always rebuilding snowmobiles.”

Kya tilted her head at the two, “Does Asami like to snowmobile?”

Korra shook her head, “Actually she designs and builds engines. For planes, mostly, right?”

Asami nodded once and turned to the woman holding her arm, “My father designs and builds airplanes. I got into tinkering with engines at a very young age. I’m graduating this year with a degree in engineering. But I love to build all kinds of engines. Snowmobiles are actually something I’ve never had the chance to work with.”

“Smart and beautiful. Don’t mess this up, Korra, she’s a keeper.”

The youngest of the three blushed bright and turned her head out to the white, fresh snow. She could hear her girlfriend’s scratchy voice pipe up.

“I don’t know if I’m that much of a catch. But I’m certainly glad to have caught Korra’s interest.”

Kya hummed a tune under her breath and beamed at her niece.

“So I take it you’re here to make sure your dad is getting around okay?”

Korra frowned and felt her stomach squeeze, “What? Why wouldn’t he be getting around okay?”

Her aunt closed her eyes and mirrored her own frown. She grumbled, “Damn that brother of mine. And here he said he’d tell you.” When she reopened them she smiled sadly, “When was the last time you talked to your parents?”

“Two weeks ago. But they didn’t say anything? What happened?” She could feel her pulse racing and she couldn’t stop herself from rising from the couch. Asami peered on worriedly, but said nothing.

“It’s fine,” Kya kept her tone even, “He’s fine. He fell off one of the ski lift poles and broke his arm and ankle and... Korra!”

Korra didn’t wait to hear the rest. She ran out of the ski lodge and across the parking lot. Her feet took her skillfully through the thick snow. She ignored the shoveled paths and sprinted all the way to her home, a cozy cabin at the edge of the cleared out ski resort.

Her legs burned and she ignored the way the freezing air stung her lungs.

The snowboarder didn’t stop until she burst in through the front door and into the den.

“Are you okay!?”

Her father laid on the couch, arm in a sling and propped up on a pillow, and his ankle in a cast and propped up on some more pillows. He had on a t-shirt and sweat pants. He stared at his daughter wide eyed and surprised.

“What are you doing here?”

Korra shook her head and gulped for air, “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?!”

From behind she felt her mother’s slim arms wrap around her and give her a hug, “Welcome back little pup. Have a seat and I’ll get you some hot cocoa. Your father will explain.”

She heard the stiff tone in the woman’s voice and knew the decision to not tell her was not shared between the two. Korra sighed and plopped down into the worn arm chair her father usually occupied.

On the couch she heard the older man grunt and lifted her eyes to watch him shift his position to better look at her.

“It’s nothing,” he gruffed, “A broken ankle and a dislocated shoulder. I’ll be back on my feet in no time.”

“And you couldn’t even bother with a phone call to your only daughter?”

“You’ve got your own life. This is nothing! I’ll be back working in a month,” her father lifted the remote and hit the mute button on the TV in the corner.

He looked older from the last time she saw him. His long, dark brown hair contained more prominent gray strands and his stern, chiseled face looked soft and more wrinkled.

The two shared many features; ice blue eyes, skin color, and a strong jaw. But he had at least a foot and a half on her and his eyes were small and narrow, like a hawk’s. He often noted that Korra shared her mother’s more wide, expressive eyes.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she croaked. “But I wish you had at least called me. When did it happen?”

“Five days ago,” her mother supplied. “And for the record I wanted to call you to tell you, but he told me not to bother.” The woman handed her a cup of hot cocoa that Korra placed on the table in front of her.

“Thanks,” she muttered. She pushed her hair back behind her ears and exhaled, “How come you weren’t hooked in? You always told me to latch yourself nice and tight.”

Her father looked over at her mother. The matriarch sat down on a folding chair next to the couch and gave him a stern look.

“I did have myself hooked in,” he said slowly, “It happened when I unhooked myself and slipped on the prong. Hey, it could have been worse. I wasn’t that far up.”

Korra looked at him and then at her mother. The older woman picked up an ice pack from the table and placed it on his shoulder.

Unlike her casually dressed father, she wore a cotton blue dress with thigh high slippers on her feet. She, too, looked a lot older from the last time she saw her. Although her braided, black hair had not yet begun graying, she had crow’s feet in the corners of her eyes. Korra shared more striking features with her father, but the softer ones, height included, she shared with her mother. The nose, curved lips, and unusually large ears, were the things they used to compare with each other on days when the snow was too thick to go anywhere.

“So what do we owe this visit?”

The snowboarder blushed and then jumped up from her chair. She’d left Asami alone with her aunt back at the lodge. She slapped her palm against her forehead and turned on her heel, “Crap! I’ll be right back!”

When she flung the front door open she saw her aunt and girlfriend staring right back at her. Both looked pleasantly surprised.

“Hi,” she cringed a little and felt her ears burn in embarrassment, “Come on in.”

Kya shook her head and brushed on by leaving Asami in her wake. The college student bit her lip and then reached out and took her hands.

“Everything okay?”

Korra nodded her head and then pulled the dark haired woman against her. She wrapped her arms around Asami’s waist and pressed her forehead against her shoulder, “Sorry for running out like that. Everything is fine.” The shorter woman pulled back and smiled when her girlfriend kissed her nose, “Come in and meet the parents.”

She led Asami in through the short hall and the two stopped just shy of the den when they heard her aunt berating her father.

“I don’t care if all you got was a bruise from the fall. Your daughter deserves at least a phone call. And you went and told me you’d take care of it. I see I’m going to have to make all your calls from now on to keep Korra updated.”

Asami grinned and Korra rolled her eyes.

“I used to think having a sibling would be so nice. That is until Aunt Kya returned to take over the lodge. She’s my dad’s older sister. They bicker all the time,” she whispered to the dark haired woman. “Well, we better interrupt, before they go on and on.”

“Mom, dad,” Korra held Asami’s hand in her own and led her into the den. “This is Asami. We... we’re dating. And well, Asami, this is my mom and dad.”

Her mother, immediately stood up from her chair. Her dark blue eyes brightened, she smiled, and took several steps forward.

“Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs.-”

Korra’s mother cut her off, “Please, call me Senna. And call my husband Tonraq. It is wonderful to meet you, Asami.” Senna embraced Asami briefly and then held her at arm’s length to study her. When she finished she gave her daughter a very overt raise of her eyebrows. The short haired woman decided that her family’s sole goal was to embarrass her. “Can I get you a hot chocolate?”

The engineering student shook her head, “I’m fine. Thanks. Still full from earlier. I didn’t think omelets could be that big.”

“You took her to Varrick’s, didn’t you?” her father piped up from the couch. He shook his head and tried to sit up, “It’s nice to meet you, Asami.”

“Oh! Please, don’t stand up on my account,” her girlfriend stepped forward and took his out stretched hand. He gave her a good shake and then let go. “Nice to meet you, as well. All of you. Korra's told me about everyone, but it is nice to put faces with the stories.”

Kya cleared her throat and moved around the small den to the couch. She nudged Tonraq’s leg, “Move and let me sit.”

He begrudgingly shifted until he sat upright on the couch with his elbow resting on the pillows, “Injured man here.”

Asami returned to Korra and she gestured the college student to sit in the arm chair. She sat down on one of the arms, half leaning against her girlfriend, half hanging off the side. Her lips curled into a smile when she felt the woman’s arm slip around her waist.

“So how long have you two been dating and why is this the first I’m hearing of it?”

Korra gulped at her mother’s tone, “Well, ah, that is... only a little over a month now. And, yeah, surprise!”

Her aunt covered a laugh with her hand. Her father studied the woman sitting in his chair as though she had taken something which belonged to him. Though given that she dated his daughter, this seemed reasonable enough. Korra tried to hide her discomfort by smiling and swaying her legs.

“What is it you do for a living, Asami?” Tonraq spoke up this time.

“Oh,” the dark haired woman turned to him and smiled softly, “I’m a student at Republic U. I study engineering. I don’t have a real job at the moment, but I do help my father out with his work.”

“She’s Asami Sato. Her father is Hiroshi Sato,” Korra added.

Both of her parent’s eyebrows lifted and they turned to look at each other.

“Sato Airplanes? I didn’t think Hiroshi Sato had a daughter as young as you,” Kya leaned forward and took the untouched hot cocoa from in front of Korra. She blew on it softly and took a sip.

“Yeah. He and mom waited to start a family. I was a ‘late in life’ baby,” Asami giggled.

Senna smiled and reached over to pat her husband’s thigh, “That’s what Tonraq did. Waited a long time before having his first child.”

The man shook his head and shifted his arm, “It’s not my fault you took so long to appear in my life.”

Korra’s parents stared at each other a moment, then leaned in to kiss.

Korra rolled her eyes and cleared her throat, “So yeah. Parents. Asami. Asami. Parents. And dad is okay, he’s just a little banged up,” she explained to the dark haired woman by her side, “But trust me when I say that he’s always been this serious. This isn’t the accident affecting him.”

“Hey-” her father frowned.

She laughed and picked up a drink coaster and threw it at him. He barely managed to block it and then pointed at her, “I’m not too old or serious to put you over my knee.”

“Gotta catch me, first,” she stuck her tongue out.

Her aunt cleared her throat and clapped her hands, “Children! While I have you here I think it is a good time for an announcement. Unfortunately I wish it were better news.”

“Oh god what now?” Korra whined and hung her head. A perpetual cloud loomed over what should have been a happy day with her girlfriend.

Kya sighed, “The economy has hurt us in more ways than one. Repairs that I wanted to finish over the summer had to be delayed. And now with Tonraq getting hurt, I’m going to have to hire outside help to finish before the season begins. So what does this mean for us?”

The dramatic pause had Korra shaking her head. She felt Asami’s hand squeezing her hip.

“It means that for one, I won’t be able to sponsor Korra for her competitions. I tried my best to budget for it, but it is just not in the cards. Even if Tonraq hadn’t put it himself out for a couple months, I still would have come to the same conclusion. And unless we have a spectacular ski season, this may be the last year we’re open,” the older woman sighed and put the mug down in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Tonraq reached over and took his sister's hand.

The room remained silent for several moments as everyone absorbed the information.

“So what’s the plan to make sure we do have this spectacular winter?”

Kya shook her head at her brother, “Honestly, we need to have good snows. The last few winters have been harsh, but with snow few and far between. It is nature working against us. Nature and a starving economy.”

“I’ll move back and help out,” Korra announced. “You won’t have to pay me. I mean, yeah, you’ll have to feed and house me, but I work for free otherwise.”

“Korra, that’s not your responsibility,” her mother sighed.

She shrugged her shoulders, “Well, if I’m not going to have a snowboarding season, it’s the least I can do. Besides, this is my home, too. Maybe I’d like to help keep it.”

Kya bit her lip and looked over at Korra’s parents. They looked uncertain with this sudden decision.

Korra felt Asami’s hand move and take her own hand. She turned her eyes to the other woman’s green, cat-like eyes, and gave a half-hearted smile.

“I have to try, you know?”

 

 

 

Later that night Korra kicked her shoes off and fell onto Asami’s couch with a big sigh. They spent the entire day chatting with her parents and making plans for her moving home.

She’d spend two more weeks in the city wrapping up her jobs, trying to find someone to take her spot with Mako and Bolin, and then return to the mountain to help out for the ski season.

Neither her or Asami talked the entire drive back. She didn’t know about her girlfriend, but she felt absolutely drained.

“Thirsty?”

Korra shook her head and stared at the dark TV screen. Asami watched her for a moment from the doorway into the kitchen. The woman slowly moved and sat down next to her. She felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist. Then the woman's head pressed against her shoulder.

She lifted her hand and ran her fingers through Asami’s thick, wavy hair. The snowboarder nosed those jet black strands and inhaled deeply. A scent of the mountain air lingered in the other woman’s hair. It caused all kinds of emotions, good, bad, longing, desire, and many more to build up inside her.

“Guess I’ll get to learn how to snowboard really well this winter,” Asami chuckled, then slowly pushed Korra down until she lay on top of her on the couch.

Now on her back Korra stared up the ceiling and tried to calm her beating heart that her girlfriend could no doubt feel with her head pressed against her chest.

“Sorry it turned out this way,” she bit her lower lip. “If you want to break up with me I’ll understand.”

“What?” Asami lifted her head and stared down at her, “Break up with you? Why would I want to do that?”

Korra shrugged her shoulders and looked off to the side, “Because, I mean, I won’t be here. You’d rather have someone here with you, someone you can be close to, right?”

“Korra, what is this about? What do you mean I’d rather have someone here close with me?”

“Mako said you tended to date a lot,” she chewed her lower lip and swallowed, “I just thought you liked having someone with you. And I was happy to fill that spot for you. But now...”

Her girlfriend huffed, grabbed her jaw, and turned her face towards hers, “Korra, I’m... ugh!” The taller woman let her go and sat up on the couch. She hugged her arms around her midsection and shook her head.

The dark made it difficult to see her exact expression, but Korra figured it somewhere between anger and confusion. She slowly sat up and made sure to put just enough distance between them.

“I don’t have a great history, I won’t lie,” Asami moved her hands up to pull nervously on her long hair, “I dated a lot. I slept around a lot. I just thought that this was how it was done—that people tested the waters and eventually someone would stick. I never knew that I could feel...” Her girlfriend closed her eyes and brought her hands back down in her lap.

“What do you feel?” Korra stared at the college student. In her belly, she could feel her stomach rising up into her throat.

“I’ve never felt like this with anyone,” Asami licked her lips and turned her eyes on Korra, “You’re the first person I’ve ever felt like this with. Like, everyday, I can’t wait to see you or talk to you or think about you. Like... like I want to put the effort into coming to visit you. No matter how far away you are, I’ll come. Because you’re Korra. You’re this wonderful person and I feel wonderful whenever I’m with you.”

The short haired woman couldn’t speak. Her eyes stung with tears that she struggled to contain. She lost the struggle and they began trailing down her cheeks. She did the only thing she could think and she gathered her girlfriend up in her arms and kissed her.

And what a fevered kiss. Asami’s arms pulled on her shoulders as if trying to merge their bodies together. Korra lost herself as she gasped and breathed in her girlfriend’s taste and scent. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to who knows how long.

Fatigue won out, however, and eventually those wanton, burning kisses, cooled to longing, adoring presses and massages of lips. Korra leaned her forehead against Asami’s. Her entire body felt at war. On one hand she wanted to go even further, on the other hand, sleep clawed at her like a hungry wolf.

“I’m going to pass out,” she whispered. “But I want to...”

Her girlfriend kissed her cheek, then her other cheek, and then stood up and pulled her with her.

“Asami,” Korra groaned as she rose to her feet.

The wavy haired woman pulled her close and kissed her chastely, “We’re going to sleep. Not have sex. And we’re going to share my bed. Okay?”

Korra blinked away some more tears and nodded her head. She followed her up the stairs. Both women spent a few minutes taking turns in the bathroom. Korra used her time to wash her face and collect herself.

When she emerged Asami gave her a pair of shorts that she changed into. She left her sports bra on but took her shirts off. Her girlfriend already wore a big night shirt.

Wordlessly they crawled into bed together and pulled the covers up. One tense moment passed and then Asami pulled Korra close to her and enveloped her in her arms.

The shorter woman sighed and pressed her cheek against her girlfriend’s collarbone.

Even with all those thoughts swirling around in her head, all the worries about her family’s money problems, and being unable to see Asami as much, sleep found her easily. She figured it had to do with the fact that being in her girlfriend’s arms felt so damned comfortable.

It felt so right.


	9. Chapter 9

Asami smiled when she opened her eyes. She felt cocooned in a pair of strong arms, warm breath grazing the back of her neck, and an even warmer body pressed up against hers. The blanket somehow wrapped itself over her legs in the middle of the night leaving her upper body mostly exposed, save for the large shirt.

She lifted her head and looked at the clock. With a sigh, the engineering student debated on staying in those arms and not moving at all for the rest of the morning.

But nature called.

“Korra,” she murmured. A yawn broke through and she lifted a hand to cover her mouth. Her other hand came down on the mocha arm tucked under her breasts and she patted it. “My bundle of muscles, I need to get up. Gotta let me go,” she said in a louder voice.

She felt the younger woman stir behind her and a pair of lips grazed on her covered shoulder. The sensation made her shiver in spite of her furnace-like girlfriend. For a woman raised in the extreme colds, she sure felt really warm all the time.

“Bundle of muscles!”

The dark skinned woman groaned and she felt her burrow her head against her upper back. Muffled grunts and murmurs vibrated on her spine.

Asami smiled, “I didn’t hear that. What did you say?”

“I said,” Korra lifted her head and she felt the woman’s arms pull her tighter. The sensation of breasts pushed against her back made butterflies in her stomach. “I hate that nickname.”

This time Asami laughed. She wiggled and began tracing her fingertips up and down her girlfriend’s forearms.

“Sorry to wake you so early, but I need to use the bathroom. Do you think you can unlock this vice grip or should I try holding it until you fall back asleep?”

Korra mumbled an apology and slowly let her go. She smiled, turned on the bed, and kissed the snowboarder’s cheek. “Thanks,” she said as she climbed up out of bed. The cold air hit her legs and made her curse under her breath as she ran into the bathroom. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the younger woman staring at her half naked body. Suddenly she didn’t feel as cold.

Inside the bathroom Asami did her business and considered the previous day. After the bad news and Korra’s announcement, everyone got some hot cocoa, ate some coconut macaroons, and discussed what this would mean by Korra returning.

Oddly enough, Kya objected the most, even though she also needed her, She really wanted Korra to keep pursuing her snowboarding—especially now that she would have more time to devote without school getting in the way.

Senna remained silent on the subject other than to offer some suggestions here and there to help improve the resort. Suggestions like putting in more interactive computer stations that linked to the slopes and other such technologies. And Tonraq, well, Tonraq seemed very happy that his daughter planned on returning home.

After an hour Kya had to excuse herself to return to some paperwork and other orders for the resort. Senna suggested that Asami and Korra go for a walk so Korra could show her where she grew up.

She could have used the walk to convince her girlfriend to not move home. For the first time since she began dating she felt a connection to someone. Asami wanted to spend everyday with the younger woman. She worried that the magic would disappear with the distance.

During the walk Korra had asked her for her opinion on her decision about going home. If she’d tried to convince her to not help her family she would have felt horrible.

 

_“So if your father asked you to give up your degree and help him out with the business, you’d do it?”_

_Asami worried her lower lip. Probably not, she thought, but then her family never had any kind of money problems and likely never would. She bit back the urge to push Korra towards her dreams._

_“Family is important. I think you’re making the right decision. And hey, you can use your spare time to practice for next year,” she walked hand in hand with her girlfriend down a plowed out path around the main building_. _The warmth the sun provided a pleasant heat and made up for the blanket of cold snow_.

_Her girlfriend squeezed her hand and she squeezed back._

_“I know mom already offered you the invitation, but you know you’re always welcome here. We can even get you a nice free room so you don’t have to stay in our tiny little house,” the snowboarder kicked some snow._

_Asami stopped them and pulled her close. She slid both of her arms over the other woman’s shoulders and then kissed her nose, each of her cheeks, and her forehead._

_“I fully expect to stay with you whenever I visit, which will be a lot. Okay?”_

 

Even now she cursed her supportive words. After a full and hearty dinner, Kya tried to talk her girlfriend out of moving home once again. She adamantly argued that the resorts’ problems were none of Korra’s concerns and that being a young adult only happened once in your life so she’d better enjoy it.

That caused Tonraq to pipe up. He argued that because his daughter was an adult she could make adult decisions. Senna rubbed her forehead.

The family parted amicably in spite of the heated arguments after dinner, but it led to the silent two hours during the drive back into the city.

Asami wiped, flushed, and checked herself in the mirror. Her hair looked out of sorts and she brushed it. She also took the opportunity to brush her teeth. Once finished, the college student reentered her bedroom and found the snowboarder sleeping again, this time on her back and the blankets pushed completely off her.

The sight of the woman wearing a sports bra and a pair of boy shorts sent a warming tingle throughout her body. Without another thought to the worries of the previous day, she climbed onto the bed and straddled her mocha-skinned girlfriend. She gazed at the chiseled body and marveled how it barely stirred beneath her.

Her hands moved on their own and along Korra’s lightly defined abs. She traced her fingers in and out of the soft grooves, moving them higher and higher until they danced along the edge of that sports bra.

Asami felt dizzy with lust and she could hear her own soft panting coming from between her minty lips. Just as she grabbed the fabric she felt a pair of strong hands grab her wrists. The sudden move made her inhale sharply.

She raised her gaze to find a pair of icy blue eyes staring at her.

The breath hitched in her throat.

“Hey-”

Korra pulled her down on top of her and Asami barely managed to catch herself before their faces crashed together. She laughed and wanted to ask the other woman what that was all about but the next thing she felt was a pair of lips silencing her.

A moan entered her throat as the two kissed softly. Her girlfriend’s hands let go of her wrists and slid down along her body, once again wrapping tightly around her waist. Their breasts pushed together and every breath she took she could feel the warm body beneath her making a wonderful friction.

The kiss deepened and she battled tongues with her girlfriend. All the while she felt herself growing more and more wet with anticipation.

“Korra,” she gasped between the increasingly sloppy kissing. It seemed that both their desires overwhelmed them to the point beyond accuracy and tenderness.

Korra moved her hands up and down her sides until they went beneath her shirt and pressed directly against her skin. Asami couldn’t stop the groan and she kissed feverishly and wantonly. She began grinding herself atop the shorter woman. Whimpers accented the smacks of lips and tongues against one another.

Her girlfriend sat up and then positioned those heated hands on her bottom. Just the thin fabric of her panties separated her girlfriend from a morning full of fun and love.

And so, of course, the alarm clock sounded loud and proud.

Asami growled while Korra yelped and jumped back as though caught by the teacher in the broom closet.

The college student reached over and hit the buttons on the clock and then turned to see her would-be lover clutching the fabric of the sports bra above her heart and gasping for air.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Her body felt on fire. She knew she had flushed skin and her panties soaked and clung to her sex.

“Hungry?”

Korra only managed to nod her head.

Asami swallowed and carefully sat up from the snowboarder’s lap. She put one foot on the ground when she felt herself being pulled back onto her girlfriend.

Laughter followed as the two women wrestled a bit with Korra eventually ending up on top and placing kisses along her neck and up to hear earlobe. They played around for a while longer until she eventually had to beg off to take a cold shower.

In spite of herself, Asami enjoyed the fun play, even if it didn't lead to any orgasms or tender love making. All the same, she needed to calm body. There appeared a disconnect between her sensible mind and her sex-craved hands and hips.

 

 

During a late breakfast Asami and Korra discussed the checklist and itinerary until the last day when the snowboarder would move back home, driven by none other than the Asami.

“Two weeks really isn’t that long. I don’t think you’ll be able to find someone to take over your lease that fast,” the dark haired woman warned between bites of eggs and toast.

Her girlfriend sat next to her at the table and looked at the list.

It consisted of things such as packing up, giving notice to her employers, spending time with Asami, finding someone to live with Bolin and Mako, and saying goodbye to a long list of friends she’d made in her short time in the city.

Korra swallowed and frowned, “Well I’ve got some money saved up that I was planning on buying a couple new boards with. I can just leave them with a couple months of rent and leave it up to Bolin to get someone. He knows a lot of people through the gym who could probably use a place.”

Asami dipped her head into a nod and took a drink of her juice. She made a note on the piece of paper about leaving rent with Bolin.

“I know you also want to spend time with me, but how about we leave that until the last few days. Just focus on packing things up right away, okay?”

Her girlfriend leaned over and kissed her cheek.

She made a disgusted face at her as she wiped the smear of eggs left in the wake of the other woman’s lips. Then she grinned and smeared some jam on that little dark skinned nose. The protest made by Korra lasted only a second when Asami followed up by licking and kissing it away.

“I’m going to go home and pack things up right now,” the short haired woman announced.

“You are more than welcome to spend the nights here,” Asami laughed and rested her chin in her hand, “But make sure you spend some time with your friends and roommates, as well. I, at least, have the luxury of driving up to visit you as often as I please.”

Korra scooped up a big bite of fried eggs and nodded her head. She watched the snowboarder chew and swallow and then go for her glass of chocolate milk only to end up downing the last half of it in one swallow.

“I should go tell Bolin and Mako. And then make fliers. Here, give me your dishes, I’ll put them in the dishwasher,” Korra picked up everything in spite of Asami’s protests and then loaded it all in by herself.

“I’m coming with you,” the college student announced.

“You have homework.”

“Hardly. Besides, having someone with a car will significantly decrease the time it takes to get around the city,” Asami pulled on her boots and reached for her keys. “I also have access to the campus printers where we can print out the fliers for free.”

She winked and led a no-longer protesting Korra to her car.

This was just a temporary set back, she thought, because by the time the ski season ended, she’d have figured out a way to explain to Korra just how much she felt for her. She just had to keep the relationship alive until then.

 

 

Two days later Asami parked her car in front of her father’s condo and climbed out. She took a deep breath and headed inside. Just as she stepped onto the front stoop the door opened and out walked a tall, dark man.

“Mr. Amon, pleasant to see you again,” she smiled but didn’t bring her hand up. A feeling told her that he wouldn’t want to shake her hand anyhow.

He simply looked at her and then continued on towards where he parked across the street. She stared hard after him, wondering why she found him at her father’s home so late in the evening.

“You’re early!” came a shout from the doorway.

Her father pulled her in for a hug and she smiled.

“Actually I’m a little late. I hope you have dinner ready,” she squeezed him and then followed inside.

“I ordered out. It’s all sitting in the kitchen. Should still be warm. Chinese okay?”

“Great,” she said as she pulled her boots off and placed her jacket on the hook. She walked into the kitchen with the older man before she inquired, “Mr. Amon making home visits?”

Her father laughed and pulled a couple plates from the cupboard. He handed her one, “He wants to work all the time. It’s never enough for him. Wants to make sure his I's are dotted and his T's are crossed. The man would have made a great IRS agent. How are you, sweetheart?”

She resisted the urge to spill about Korra and focused on scooping out sesame chicken onto her plate instead, “Great. I actually got some calls from some companies about coming to work for them after I graduate next year.”

“I know one company that would be pleased to have you. In fact, I can guarantee your employment with them,” he waggled his eyebrows and she smiled. “Honestly, don’t bother with anyone else. Tell me what they’re offering you and I’ll double it. With stocks and bonds. You’ll be set for life with me.”

“Dad,” Asami paused mid scoop of the white rice, “I love you. You’re just the best anyone could ask for.” She didn’t want to press the subject. They’d argue about it later. There were bigger fish to fry.

As they sat down at the dining room table she cleared her throat and waited for him to take the first bite. Once he had a mouthful of food she said, “I don’t know what you have planned for the company Christmas party, but I was struck with inspiration over the weekend. What do you think about sending the workers to a ski resort for a few days? Warm fires, cool slopes, great food, and getting away from all the hustle and bustle of planes for a bit.”

Her father swallowed and listened patiently as she pitched the idea. His mustache wiggled. This meant something good.

“A ski resort, you say? Would this have something to do with a certain snowboarder you discussed with me last week?”

She couldn’t stop the blush that spread up her neck and ears. Suddenly the food in front of her looked exquisite and tasty. Asami took a big bite and made a noncommittal shrug of her shoulders.

“I thought about just throwing a party in the factory like always,” the older Sato moved his food around and mixed the rice with the veggies, “But maybe that is getting a little stale. A few days at a ski resort might be just the pick up everyone needs for the new year. Profits are very good this quarter, so it’s not like I can’t afford it. Yes, yes, I like this idea.”

The dark haired woman couldn’t stop the beam that formed on her face. She jumped up from the table and wrapped him in a hug.

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her.

“Just give all the information to my secretary and she’ll get everything set up,” her father seemed very pleased with himself, “You know I’m going to use this as an excuse to meet your girlfriend, right?”

Asami sat back down and smirked. “Yes,” she picked her fork up again, “Just promise you’ll be nice.”

“Why wouldn’t I be nice? Is there something about her not to like?”

The younger Sato shook her head. “No, no. I think you’ll love her. She’s so full of energy,” she maneuvered her words carefully, “But you should know a few things...”

Her father opened a box with the egg rolls inside and put a few on his plate, “What kinds of things?”

“For one,” Asami started, “She’s 18. Well, 18 and a half, really. She’s very mature for her age.”

He raised his eyebrows and sat back away from the food. “18, you say,” his hands rested on his partially protruding belly, “That’s not too big a difference between yourselves. I imagine this isn’t the only thing about her that you want to tell me. Is she after the money? Do you think she’s trying to worm her way into the Sato family?”

Asami slammed her fork down and glared. “What!? No!” She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Korra isn’t like that. In fact, she hardly ever takes any offered help beyond a ride here and there, and most times I have to twist her arm about it.”

“Okay! Okay,” her father raised his hands in defense, “Just sounded a lot more serious than ‘she’s 18’. You know?”

She swallowed and uncrossed her arms, “Yeah. I’m sorry. That came out way more harsh than I intended.” The college student licked her lips and continued, “So just to give you a heads up about the ski resort, her family owns it. And I’m honestly just suggesting it because it is a beautiful place, but I’d be lying if I didn’t have a small ulterior motive.”

“That is?”

“They’re on the verge of having to close down. I’m hoping this will give them a boost. Maybe if the workers talk about going up there with their families, the families will talk about it, and spread more word of mouth, and well, you know, it will help them.”

Her father leaned forward again. He picked up a cup of juice that Asami poured for him and took a drink. He swallowed and said, “That’s fine. Yes, that’s more than fine. We can have ulterior motives. So I’ll be honest and say that this is good word of mouth for the company. Without having to blatantly donate money to help out a family business, we can do what the free market does best and support their resort instead.”

She grinned. Her father always found a way to put a positive spin on the business. “So you’re okay with it?”

“Of course, of course. Now let’s talk shop! I want to hear about your ideas on the new hybrid engines. Turbo rocket and air or LACE and air?”

 

 

On her drive home from her father’s condo, Asami dialed a number on her center console and leaned back on the cool leather driver’s seat. Korra wouldn’t be happy with her using her company to help out the resort, but maybe she could spin it off as her father’s idea, instead. She just wanted to help her girlfriend.

“Yo! Bolin here!”

“Hey Bolin, it’s Asami.”

On the other end she heard some noise, probably a video game, and then nothing.

“Asami! How did you get my number!?”

She grinned as she stopped at a red light, “I snagged it from Korra’s phone while she was showering.”

“Showering eh?” She could almost hear his eyebrows waggling. “I’m totally teasing her about this new bit of information. I take it you two had a fun weekend, you know, aside from all that bad news about her family’s resort?”

Asami sighed and tapped her steering wheel, “Don’t tease her too much. We didn’t go _that_ far. I take it you’re alone right now?”

“Totes! Korra is out getting tacos. I ruined her in Call of Duty! Blew her up with dynamite!”

The college student laughed, “Oh I bet she loved that. So yeah, I have some important business to discuss: Going away party.”

“Right on! Let’s make it crazy big and go all out!”

She could hear him smacking the couch.

“I want to host it at my place. I’ll supply the food and music. You have the info on her friends and who to invite. Can I leave it up to you to bring people she knows and will want to say goodbye to?”

“You can count on me, Asami! Hey! That rhymed!”

Asami just smiled this time. She hit the gas and tore down the road.

“Man, I can’t believe she’s going back, though. I thought we were going to live together until one of us went pro and made it big time. It kinda hasn’t hit me, yet, you know?”

She didn’t know. She’d spent the last two days thinking about her future with Korra. Long distance relationship all aside, she had bigger plans involving moving in together, whether it be near the mountain or somewhere else entirely, she knew she was going to try her hardest to be with the mocha-skinned woman.

“I know,” she lied, “I just got to know her.”

Bolin sighed heavily, “I hope you guys make it. No, wait, I KNOW you guys will make it. She really likes you. Like _really_ likes you. That girl has friends, but she never gets close like she has with you. You’re something special, I tell you.”

Asami wiped away a tear and sniffled a little.

“Thanks. Thanks for everything Bolin,” she turned into her driveway and shifted into park. “I know it’s short notice, but I think Saturday night will do. Then we’ll have one more week before she goes back. And keep it a secret!”

“Saturday night it is! You can count on me. Anything else?”

She shook her head as if he could see her, “That’s it. I’ll text you my address. Have fun playing video games with her!”

“Will do! Bolin out!”

Asami watched her center console go dark. She took her key out of the ignition and took a deep breath. Suddenly the next twelve days didn’t feel like enough. The engineering major clutched her chest and leaned her forehead against the steering wheel.

What could she do to show Korra her long term intentions?

It didn’t mean anything to say it out loud. She wanted the younger woman to know through her actions that she wasn’t just some fling.

Why did they have to part ways so quickly?

It wasn’t fair at all.


	10. Chapter 10

Korra sighed and rubbed her cheeks. Kuvira’s response to her news that she’d be leaving in two weeks time was to belittle her and tell her she knew she couldn’t cut it in the business. She didn’t really mind the woman’s words (not a first for her to talk to her workers like this) but it mostly drove home the fact that she’d be leaving soon.

Even though she’d only spent a matter of months in this city, she’d grown to really like it as much as the people who lived there.

Plus it meant she’d be leaving Bolin.

Ever since Bolin moved to the mountain with his dad about ten years ago, they were joined at the hip. Going to school together, hanging out, sports, even spending the nights at each others houses, and failing the same tests and classes only skimmed the surface of their relationship.

Both their families thought they would end up together. Bolin and herself laughed at the idea. The two were siblings, even if not by blood. She’d never had a brother and his own sibling lived far away until just this year.

Her thought turned to Mako. For as brusque as he appeared to many, he certainly cared for his brother. All the time she spent with the two showed her that much. His nagging and bickering actually disguised the fact that he worried about Bolin’s choices. He only wanted the best for his younger brother.

She smiled. Even if she missed Bolin, she’d be leaving him in capable hands. And as Asami reminded her, they could still visit.

The snowboarder pushed the door open to The Steel Gym and walked directly into the main office.

“Yo Chief! Has Bolin talked to you already or do I gotta break the news?”

Behind the desk Lin Beifong sat back and rubbed her forehead, “I really wish you guys wouldn’t call me chief. Beifong is sufficient.” The nickname derived from how she ran the gym: like a military installation. It was used rarely and only among the staff. She paused and looked up at Korra, “What news?”

Korra smiled through the blue of her feelings and took a seat on the other side of the desk, “I gotta put in my two weeks. Well, less than two weeks at this point. It is Monday and my last day will be a week from this Friday. Sorry it’s such short notice.”

In the entire time she’d known the gray haired woman, she’d never seen her chiseled and stony face ever soften. So when it did just that, the dark skinned woman felt a slight pang of regret.

“Why are you leaving? If you don’t mind me asking,” Beifong cleared her throat and leaned forward to rest her arms on top of some unfinished paperwork.

“Family needs my help. I can’t exactly commute from the mountain back to here, can I?” Korra sighed and looked over at the wall that held her employer’s medals and achievements from decades prior. The woman had achievements in the javelin, discus, and hammer and even attended the Olympics one year, though she placed poorly. “I appreciate you giving me a job here. I think I learned a lot, well, probably more about improving my technique, but I still had fun and stuff.”

For a moment the older woman said nothing. The only sounds in the room came from the clanking of weights and grunts from the guys down the hall in the weight lifting area.

Beifong tilted her head and folded her hands together. Korra raised her eyebrows and shifted in her seat.

“Well, if there’s anything I need to fill out-”

“I hate to see you go. You’re one of my hardest workers.”

The comment surprised the younger woman. Of everyone who worked there, Beifong pushed most of the work onto her. And also harped on her the most. For some reason, she tended to draw these types of employers.

“Oh,” Korra opened her mouth to say something else, but she still couldn’t believe this turn of events. She honestly expected Beifong to barely take notice and continue working her hard to the very end.

“You don’t believe me,” her employer raised an eyebrow. “You’re probably thinking something along the lines of ‘Why is this woman, who is constantly pushing me, now praising me?’ Am I wrong?”

Korra didn’t have a response. She stared wide eyed at the gray haired woman, her mouth agape.

Beifong cleared her throat and continued, “I see so much potential in you, Korra. Whether you want to run one of these gyms yourself or do your snowboarding—you’re always working hard and going above and beyond. And as for why I pushed you more than the others? Because I felt like they were a bad influence on you. A lot of these guys come in, do some heavy reps, and then spend the rest of the time admiring their muscles in the mirror. I knew I couldn’t let you fall into that trap. Who cares how you look? It’s about results. And the results are evident for themselves.”

She took a breath while the snowboarder tried to absorb all this information.

“So Korra, I do not know the circumstances which surround you and your family or why you must go back, but I do hope one day you’ll return to your training. Someone like you is destined for great things,” her employer nodded over at the wall, “Take it from someone who has been there.”

Tears threatened to push out of the corners of Korra’s eyes and she struggled to maintain her composure. She licked her lips and swallowed.

“T-thanks... thank you,” a tight feeling welled up in her chest. “I’m going to miss you, Beifong.”

Beifong rolled her eyes and then rose to her feet.

“Give me a hug.”

The command made Korra grin and she stood up and wrapped her arms around the taller woman.

While not the most heartwarming or loving of hugs, she felt what her employer was trying to convey. When the two parted, Beifong put on her normal iron mask and pointed to the door.

“But you’re not done, yet. So get back out there and mop all the floors. Then when you’re done the showers need scrubbing. I better be able to eat off that floor.”

Korra laughed and mocked a salute, “Right on it, Chief!”

 

 

“Are you gonna stay up there for a while, then? Or just until next summer?”

Korra looked up from her tacos to see Bolin speaking with a mouthful of nachos. She rolled her eyes at him and tossed a napkin in his general direction.

“I don’t know,” she said as she picked up the bottle of hot sauce, “I guess it’s a wait and see kind of thing. I talked with dad a bit more this morning and he says he’ll be up and around after New Years. He says I should probably work with my aunt once he’s better. This way I can take over later on.”

Bolin’s eyebrows raised and he leaned back on the couch. He thoughtfully chewed and swallowed before saying, “You want to take over the resort?”

Korra shook her head and frowned, “Not really. Maybe when I’m a lot older. But right now?” The snowboarder took a bite of her taco and blew air loudly out of her nose.

The two worked on their dinner for a few moments without speaking. A show about a bunch of guys fixing up cars for people played on the television. Neither paid it much attention.

“This sucks.”

It was Korra’s turn to lift her eyebrows as she peered at her life long friend and roommate.

“I mean, we were gonna be like, all famous and stuff together. You and I, man, taking on the world of sports!” Bolin set his food down and crossed his arms over his chest. “I get that your family needs help. I’m not mad that you’re choosing to go. I’m mad that it’s happening. You know?”

She smiled at him and put her own food down on the coffee table. Without warning she leaned across and pulled him into a hug. He stubbornly kept his arms crossed, but eventually relented when she wouldn’t let go. His bulky biceps encompassed her and he pressed his cheek against her head.

“Yeah. I get it,” she said as they pulled apart.

He dropped his arms in his lap and made fists with his hands.

Korra inhaled slowly. On the exhale she said, “We can still visit each other. Somehow we’ll make that work. And we got phone calls. I’m not falling off the face of the earth, Bolin. Just going home.”

“I know,” he huffed while he picked up his tray of nachos, “I mean, it was eventually going to happen once I got on the Olympic team and stuff.”

His words made her grin from ear to ear, “And what about when I got famous as a snowboarder? You’d have to get by all my bodyguards to come and talk to me.”

Bolin snorted and shook his head. His smile bloomed as strong as her own, “I could _be_ your bodyguard, Korra. Anyone you pick to guard you isn’t going to be anywhere near as strong as me.”

“Oh? A famous Olympian as a bodyguard? What a downgrade...”

He threw a jalapeno at her face.

“Food throwing? Seriously? Do you know how much this food costs?”

“Guess you should have went for something cheaper!”

Suddenly a tray full of nachos landed on her face, hair, and chest. She yelled, jumped up, and wiped away the sour cream, cheese, and whatever else was sticking to her skin.

“Bolin you are so dead!”

Korra started throwing her tacos at him while he ran and ducked behind the kitchen island counter. She followed after him with a burrito in her hand. Just as he tried to dart towards the hall the snowboarder jumped over the counter and tackled him to the ground.

The door unlocked as she was mashing the burrito into Bolin’s face and hair.

“I hope you two plan on cleaning this up,” came Mako’s annoyed voice from the door.

Both Korra and Bolin stopped what they were doing and shared a look. With a grin they each got up and headed for the leftover sour cream cups and guacamole.

Mako finished slipping off his shoes and peered up to where his brother and roommate were gathering up the condiments.

“Don’t even think about it. This blazer cost me half a month’s pay.”

“Mako Mako. You should know better than to buy something so expensive in this apartment!” Bolin taunted as he circled around from one side of the couch while Korra stalked from the other.

The college student looked warily between the two, “I’m serious. This isn’t a game. And what you two are doing is a huge waste. Like either of you have any money to spare.”

Bolin mocked him by mimicking his words in a higher pitched voice. He readied his throwing arm and Mako frowned.

Korra struck first with the cup of guacamole. It smacked into the back of Mako’s head and stuck against his jet black hair. She laughed maniacally when he held his arms up and slowly reached to his head as if he’d been shot.

The younger of the brothers pounced and put the taller man in a headlock while he jammed the sour cream up against his nose.

“You’re such a sour puss Mako. Enjoy this sour cream!”

Korra fell on the ground hollowing with laughter.

Mako managed to finally pushed Bolin away. His face had smears of green and white on the back and front, respectively. He also burned red with anger.

“I live with children!”

He stomped towards the hall leaving Bolin and Korra both laughing so loud that the neighbors would probably call and complain.

After a few minutes the two were finally calm enough to stand up and clean up the bigger messes into the trash. Bolin left Korra to wash the floor and headed down the hall.

He knocked on the bathroom door and then opened it. Mako stood at the sink stripped down to his wife-beater. His hair glistened with water but no longer had the complimenting green and white.

“You aren’t mad, are you?”

His older brother frowned and then pushed past him. Bolin followed.

“Don’t be like that, Mako. This is Korra’s last two weeks. Lighten up and have some fun!”

“I think fun can be had without making such messes,” he said flatly as he entered his bedroom.

Bolin rolled his eyes. “Well, okay, yeah, maybe we took it too far. But we’re having an official party for Korra on Saturday,” the younger of the two suddenly quieted and then closed Mako’s door while looking back over his shoulder. “It’s a surprise,” he said in a more hushed tone, “A surprise party for her. She doesn’t know. I’m inviting people from the gym and work. And Tenzin and Pema and their family. That will be fun without the mess like this. So at least come to that?”

Mako sighed and rubbed his forehead. He pulled a clean shirt from his closet and slipped it on. “I don’t know. I like Korra, don’t get me wrong. But we’re not all that close.”

“Please!” Bolin dropped to his knees, “You gotta help me with at least inviting people and getting that all together! You’re good with that kind of stuff.”

The older brother crossed his arms over his chest and looked off to the side.

“All you have to do is help with invitations! Asami is doing the rest! She’s having it at her place and there is gonna be food and music!”

Mako turned his gaze back to his brother and pursed his lips. “Asami is hosting it?”

When Bolin nodded furiously, he dropped his arms to his side and let out a sigh.

“Fine. I’ll help. And I’ll go.”

His brother grabbed him in a hug and shouted in cheer.

Mako just shook his head and gave him a small smile.

 

 

 

Korra didn’t get a chance to see Asami until the party. Asami talked to her on the phone and said she wanted to catch up on classes during the week because finals would be soon. She promised, though, that Korra could stay the night at her place the week following up to her move.

The snowboarder didn’t mind as much as she originally thought. The time she spent away from the engineering student gave her time to mull over her feelings and how she could maintain a long distance relationship.

And the realization she came to was that it was way too much to think about. Her mind often turned to the worst possibilities and she dizzied at what being in a relationship even entailed.

In the end she just decided that she wanted to keep talking to Asami, even if it meant the physical part of their relationship was few and in between.

She really enjoyed sleeping with Asami. She also enjoyed the fun following in the morning. Being honest with herself, she just feared losing the older woman’s attention once they put two hundred miles between them.

Korra readied herself to talk about this with Asami when she arrived at her place on Saturday night, but instead found friends awaiting her, as well as food, a goodbye banner, and music playing.

The dark skinned woman put her thoughts on the back burner and jumped right into the festivities. Even Beifong put in an appearance (though she left after an hour, Korra noted).

“I will miss you at the restaurant,” Tenzin said. He stood next to Pema in Asami’s kitchen with a cup of punch in his hand. His kids ran around making engine noises as they played with the model airplanes that originally sat on one of her girlfriend’s shelves. “Not just your patronage, but how you always played with the kids and chatted with Pema and myself.”

“I’ll miss you guys, too. I love your dumplings. Best I ever had,” she snagged Tenzin’s son, Meelo, and picked him up. “I’ll even miss you, Meelo!”

The little dark haired boy glared at her. He’d been chasing down his big sister with his fighter plane and Korra interrupted the chase.

“Put me down Godzilla!”

Korra’s eyes widened and she put him down. She looked up to Tenzin for an explanation and he shrugged his shoulders and then sighed.

Pema laughed and stepped forward to draw Korra in for a hug.

“Come and visit anytime. And tell me when you’re leaving, I’ll make you dumplings for your trip.”

She grinned and gave a big nod.

“Dumplings for the trip! Aw man! I wanna go!” Bolin draped himself over Korra’s shoulders and pouted.

Out of the corner of her eye she noted Asami talking to a few of the muscle-head employees from the gym. The guys surrounded her and showed off their biceps while chatting about something or other. Korra couldn’t hear over the sound of the music playing from the surround sound speakers.

She willed herself to stay put. Once Asami explained the party and the reasoning, Korra thought it only fair to give her attention to everyone else. The rest of the week she’d have time with Asami. But tonight, everyone came out just for her, and it made her feel heady with happiness.

“Are there crayons in this place?”

The dark skinned woman peered down at Ikki, the middle child of Pema and Tenzin’s hoard. She smiled and shrugged, “I don’t know. Let’s go see what we can find?”

After another hour or two of drawing with the kids, chatting with some more of her (soon to be former) coworkers, and saying goodnight to the majority of the crowd, Korra decided to go and look for her girlfriend.

She slipped back in through the open garage after having seen Tenzin, Pema, and the rest of the family off. The cool air outside felt nice on her skin. With all those people in the house, it’d been stuffy for at least an hour.

As she entered the kitchen, she sighed and began picking up the disposable cups that sat everywhere. Once she finished, she entered the living room and found Bolin sitting on the couch watching recaps of some MMA fight. He nodded at her.

“I think I saw her go downstairs.”

Korra thanked him and headed down the steps to the basement. She got halfway down when she saw Mako turn onto the stairs and start trudging up.

“Is Asami down there?”

He nodded and pushed by her.

The snowboarder looked at him and frowned a little. _What was that about_? She resumed her descent and turned the corner to enter the basement room.

Far from a generic basement, this one had carpet, a couple of couches, and a ping pong table in the corner. The last time Korra came down here she saw designs strewn everywhere as well as gears and other parts sitting about. Asami must have cleaned it all up for the party.

She noticed the woman leaning against the wall and staring at a picture of some hot rod car.

“I guess all that’s left is Mako and Bolin,” she said as she approached the volleyball player.

Asami shook her head and smiled. The two wordlessly embraced and Korra tilted her head up to kiss her girlfriend.

“Good party?”

“Great party.”

Her girlfriend sighed and rested her forehead against hers. “I’m glad. Looks like Bolin invited all the right people. You have an interesting variety of friends.”

Korra smiled and pulled Asami close to her. She loved the warmth of the other woman. She loved the way she smelled. She loved how good she felt.

“I’m kind of tired,” she said without even a hint of sleepiness in her voice. “Want to kick those two out and call it a night?”

The black haired woman chuckled and trailed her fingertips over the back of Korra’s neck. “It’s a good thing I had Bolin bring an overnight bag for you,” she whispered. Her husky voice felt like music in the snowboarder’s ears.

They parted and then somehow managed to return upstairs in a calm manner. Asami faked a yawn and Korra grunted her own appeal for an end to the night and an early bedtime.

Bolin gave the women a knowing look while Mako just shook his head and went to start the car.

When the brothers finally parted, Asami raced Korra, and beat her, to the bedroom. The two attacked each other, pulling clothes away, kissing, biting, nipping, and struggling for dominance.

Korra panted as she kicked off her jeans and then wrapped her arms around a mostly naked Asami. She lifted the woman, who squealed happily, and placed her on the bed.

In front of her, a green eyed goddess stared back at her, skin flushed, clad in nothing but a black bra and matching panties. The sight caused Korra’s breath to catch in her throat. She gulped and stepped forward. Her heart thud in her chest and blood pounded in her ears.

As she went to follow her girlfriend onto the bed, hands, then knees onto the mattress, Asami’s eyes dropped down and then frowned.

“Ah, Korra, I think your period came.”

Korra followed her eyes and saw the dark red spot on her panties. She growled and pulled back. Then her cheeks turned bright pink and she grabbed her bag and ran into the bathroom.

From outside, she heard Asami knock on the door.

“There are some pads and tampons under the sink. I doubt Bolin packed any in your bag. Although if he did, props to him!”

Inside, Korra changed, cleaned up, and found the items under the sink. By the time she emerged from the bathroom she found Asami dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, laying on the bed, and reading a book by lamplight.

“I’m sorry,” Korra whimpered, “This is so embarrassing!”

Her girlfriend laughed and then patted the bed next to her.

The snowboarder hesitated and then climbed in next to her. Asami put the book on the table next to her and pulled Korra close.

“Embarrassing? We’re both women, Korra. It happens. At least we didn’t get too far. Otherwise that would have been quite a mess, hmm?”

She mortified at the thought and buried her head against the older woman’s shoulder. “I am so sorry, though,” she murmured, “I really wanted... I really wanted you.”

Asami stroked her hair and kissed her head, “And soon you shall have me. Maybe not this week, maybe not next week. But we’ve got Christmas vacation. And if it doesn’t work out then, we can wait till another time.”

Korra didn’t move from her spot. Her arms tightened around the engineering student.

The other woman chuckled, “I’m glad to know you want me in the way I want you. There isn’t any rush. We’ve got plenty of time.”

“I don’t know if talking to you on the phone will be enough,” Korra admitted. She nuzzled Asami’s collarbone and closed her eyes.

“Oh! That reminds me!”

Her girlfriend carefully extracted herself from Korra’s strong embrace and stood up from the bed. She walked to the closet and pulled out a wrapped box.

The dark skinned woman sat up and furrowed her brows.

“This is a very early Christmas present. I know the resort has Wi-fi, so there will be no excuse not to use this.”

She held the present out and Korra took it from her. Asami sat on the opposite end of the bed and watched while the younger woman tore at the paper and opened the box.

“A tablet!”

Asami nodded enthusiastically and opened the flap of the box. She pulled out the tablet, free of any of the cardboard or other plastics.

“I already took it out once,” she admitted, “But that’s because I wanted to boot it up with a better OS and put the proper programs on there.” The black haired woman scooted until she sat next to her, “Here is where you want to tap to open up the video chat. And this is free text messages. I also have a keyboard that comes with it, as well as a headset/microphone combo and a piece to prop it up on a table. It’s a good model. It will be able to do video without too many problems. As long as the connection stays consistent.”

Korra watched intently as everything was pointed out to her. She bit her lip and ran a finger over the top of the tablet.

“This is just another way for us to keep in contact. I figured if we could see each other, it’d be better, you know?”

She nodded at her girlfriend, wiped away a tear, and then turned her head to kiss her. The two kissed gently, almost lovingly, and didn’t pull away for at least a minute.

When Korra did finally pull back, she kissed her way down Asami’s jaw and pressed her lips to the other woman’s shoulder. “You’re just,” she paused to search for the right word, “Awesome. This is the best gift.”

Asami smiled and ran a finger over the shorter woman’s nose. “I had to ask Bolin to make sure you didn’t already have a tablet. And I figured I could get you a better one than what you'd find at those generic computer stores.”

Korra shook her head, “No. Not the tablet. You’re gifting me you, you know?”

Her girlfriend grinned and then took the tablet from her hands. She placed everything on the floor next to the bed and then pulled the covers over them.

“Then I’m the gift that keeps on giving,” Asami said just before she hit the switch to turn the lamp off.

In the dark Korra felt her slide until she was half laying on top of her. They kissed slowly, taking time to calm their bodies between, until sleep overtook them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Otterpen here:
> 
> I made it ten chapters. Whew. I didn't know if I could or if I would. It has been a long time since I've written anything other than shorts here and there. I didn't want to comment or to respond to anyone until I hit some kind of milestone.
> 
> Ten chapters is a milestone, right?
> 
> P.S.  
> I wish there was a like button next to all your comments! I'd love them all!
> 
> As a gift to you loyal readers, I'll respond to any questions about the fic, short of giving away spoilers.
> 
> Here's hoping for a lot more. (I have a plan! Even if it seems like I'm just writing fluff after fluff.)


	11. Chapter 11

For six days Asami woke up in the strong arms of her girlfriend. They ate breakfast together, took turns showering and getting ready, then each went their respective ways (to class or to work). At night they shared dinner, cuddled on the couch or chatted while she worked on a project for one of her classes, and then laid down for bed together.

It felt like a wonderful dream she never wanted to end.

Even if Korra did leave a mess in the sink after brushing her teeth. Or insisted on eating some kind of meat for every dinner. Or threw her clothes on the ground after showering.

All the same, she tried to cherish the moments they had together before Korra returned to the mountain. And even the worst moments eclipsed having no moments.

Like on the third evening when Korra accidentally knocked over a model jet—one that she’d painstakingly put together over the course of five days—onto the ground where it smashed into tiny pieces.

The mocha-skinned woman apologized over and over and said she’d replace it in spite of Asami’s protests that she needn’t worry. In truth, she really did like that model and it did upset her, but only a little.

The best thing about having Korra staying over honestly had to be sleeping together. They hadn’t yet gone all the way, but she felt so happy sharing the bed. With the nights so cold and her girlfriend like a walking, talking furnace, curling up inside those chiseled biceps made the impending goodbye more and more difficult.

Asami sighed and put her pen down.

She sat in the library where she had tried to work on a ten page essay about fluid mechanics and their application in automobiles. Try as she might she just couldn't concentrate. In just two days she’d be driving Korra up to the mountain and parting with her until the Christmas holidays. And after those holidays, not again until...

A growl erupted from her throat and she received a shush from a nearby student. She mumbled an apology and gathered her things. The paper would have to wait until Sunday night.

On her way out the library she halted and quickly moved behind a large bush.

Mako walked up the steps holding a stack of papers in front of him. He didn't notice her as he was too busy reading the top page. In his other hand he carried a brief case. The dark gray coat over his suit and tie made him look like an old fashioned business man. She almost chuckled.

Almost.

Her mind flashed with the night of the party. He hadn’t said a word to her all night until the last half hour when he pulled her downstairs away from his brother. She thought maybe he had a surprise for Korra and followed him down. Boy, did he have a surprise.

 

_“What’s up?”_

_Mako shuffled his feet and picked up a photo of Asami and her father taken when she was very young. He stared at it and then placed it back on the table._

_“How much do you really care for Korra?”_

_Asami shook her head and smiled, “A lot. Why?”_

_The black haired man crossed his arms in front of his chest. While everyone else at the party donned casual clothes, he opted for a dress shirt and tie. Even his pants were pressed._

_“I think it’s a good thing the two of you are putting distance between yourselves,” he stated with a nod of his head._

_She tilted her head and sat down on the couch. When she opened her mouth to say something he cut her off, all the while pacing in front of her couch._

_“You may not want to hear the truth, but you’re too good for her. And according to Bolin she’s never been with anyone. Her leaving will give you time to study and when you graduate and go to work with your father-”_

_It was her turn to cut him off._

_“My father!? Have you two been talking behind my back?”_

_Mako stopped his pacing and furrowed his thick brows together. “What? No, I-”_

_She stood up from the couch and pressed her hands against her hips. Her stomach churned and she felt a rising anger within. “I don’t need you or my dad deciding on my future for me. And I think I know who is good enough for me and who isn’t.” She clenched her fists at her side and took a deep breath._

_He turned his head to the side._

_“Is that all?”_

_When Mako just nodded she exhaled and pointed to the stairs._

_“I think you better go.”_

_The young man made a tut noise with his tongue and turned towards the stairs. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder, “I’m not wrong. You can’t force oil and water together. You and her, you’re oil and water.”_

_Asami had to resist the urge to throw something at him as he trudged up the steps. She leaned against the wall and thought about his words. Whatever his reasons, whatever her father had said to him, or hadn’t, she knew what she felt for Korra._

 

The following Monday while Korra worked and she should have been in class, she called her dad and tried to indirectly squeeze it out of him. For whatever reason, she felt strongly that he and Mako had talked about her behind her back.

Yet, at the same time, the older Sato appeared very supportive of her choice. When she couldn’t confirm or deny that her father and Mako had talked, she gave up and simply decided to avoid the intern.

This proved very difficult. Maybe she never noticed before, but they often had similar paths between classes at the university. It also didn’t help that he spent several afternoons working at her father’s business.

Asami sighed. The only reason she spent so much time avoiding him was because she just wanted to hit him. She didn’t want to cause any unnecessary drama while Korra stayed with her. And hitting her best friend’s brother seemed most unnecessary and most dramatic.

After she saw her girlfriend off on Saturday she would be sure to sit down and have a talk with both men. They needed to stay out of her life.

That night when Asami opened the door to her home she felt all her worries rush away.

“Where did you find that apron?”

“It’s Bolin’s,” Korra replied with a wink.

The snowboarder stood in front of the stove with a spoon in her hand. She sported a pair of breakaways and a tank top (Asami may have accidentally let slip how much she loved the woman in tank tops and now that seemed to be all that Korra ever wore). And the apron, bright baby blue, wrapped tight around her body, said on the front ‘Kiss the Cook’.

“Don’t mind if I do,” she muttered to herself.

Korra turned her head to ask what she said but got silenced by her lips instead. Asami sucked and nibbled and ran her hands up and down her girlfriend’s biceps before finally pulling away and staring down at the covered pot.

“Though you said you didn’t know how to cook,” she wondered out loud.

“I don’t,” Korra huffed and pushed her to the side, “I don’t consider this cooking. This is throwing a bunch of ingredients in a pot and stirring every couple minutes for an hour. One of the recipes I remember from everything my mom has cooked for me over the years.”

Asami grinned and leaned against the counter. Her stomach growled. The sound reached the other woman’s ears causing both to giggle.

“What is it?”

The shorter woman lifted the lid and stirred.

A warm wash of peppery steam wafted over her nose.

“Beef, carrot, and potato stew. I figured it’d be a nice last meal together before we leave.”

“But we’re not leaving till the day after tomorrow,” she teased as she pulled some bowls from the cupboard and spoons from the drawer.

Korra shrugged, “Tomorrow night we’re eating with Bolin, Tenzin, and Pema and the rest of the family. So yes, I know _that’s_ our last meal together before I go, but this is our last meal _together_. Save for breakfast. But I don’t count that.”

Asami kissed her cheek and set the table.

“I’m going to miss this.”

“Me, too.”

The two settled down with bowls full of stew and drinks.

Asami took a bite and wanted to take back every complaint she had about Korra always eating meat for dinner.

“This is great,” she said after she swallowed, “Like really good! I mean, you burned the eggs yesterday but this is amazing.”

The snowboarder smirked at her, “I told you, it isn’t difficult to put a bunch of stuff in a pot. And it’s my mom’s recipe. You’ll have to thank her on Saturday.”

After dinner they settled on the couch in the living room in the dark. Even though she felt very full she still couldn’t resist making out with her girlfriend. Thankfully the stew didn’t overpower her taste buds too much.

Only a month, she thought. Just one month and then just one semester and then for the rest of their lives.

Asami never felt so sure.

Yet, she also felt so scared.

 

 

 

“Is that everything?”

“There wasn’t much to begin with, mom.”

Senna shook her head at her daughter and began folding the pile of clothes Korra dumped out on her bed. Asami stepped in to help.

“Oh, thank you Asami. Korra is a terrible packer. I had to fold her clothes when she moved out. I suppose I should have expected this,” she smiled at the now blushing young woman, “At least you didn’t put them in a trash bag. Your father used to do that. He used to say ‘Why bother with fancy luggage when you’re just going to put it all in drawers anyways?’”

“Speaking of dad, how is he?”

Her girlfriend’s mother sighed, “He keeps insisting he can get up and do things when he just needs to lay down and rest. Asami, I hope you’re able to deal with Korra’s stubborn steak. She takes after her father in that regard.”

“I do not!”

Asami chuckled and hung up some shirts in the closet.

The room her girlfriend grew up in had a certain charm to it in spite of it’s small size. Especially the walls that had scratches from where Senna claimed Korra would throw her gear after being on the mountain.

She really liked the chest full of wooden animals, however.

“When do you need to return the truck?”

“It’s my dad’s, so whenever, I guess. There’s no rush,” she said as she turned back towards Senna. Korra put a stack of magazines and books on the table next to her bed. The snowboarder really didn’t have much, but Asami borrowed a covered pick up truck all the same. Also, moving stuff in and out of her charger might have resulted in scratches to the paint and she didn’t want to have to pay to fix all that.

“Then I insist you stay the night. The roads are getting worse now with the freezing temperatures when the sun goes down. And considering the sun is still coming out it means the snow melts and then freezes into ice. It’ll be safer tomorrow morning.”

“Mom, it’s still only just noon. We left early and all...”

Asami poked her girlfriend’s side, “Trying to get rid of me already?”

Korra rubbed her side and pouted, “No! I just mean you shouldn’t feel obligated just because my mom is insisting.”

Senna pushed between them to put a stack of tank tops into the middle drawer of a small dresser. The older woman cleared her throat, “I am insisting and she should feel obligated. The least I can do is give her a good meal and a warm place to sleep after driving my insufferable daughter so many miles.”

Before Korra could object any further, Asami beamed and said, “I’d be happy to stay the night. Thank you for the insistence.”

She stuck her tongue out at Korra and then opened a box with a wrapped metal pan in it. “What is this?”

Korra practically climbed over her to get at the pan.

“The dumplings from Pema! I chucked them in the box this morning and forgot. Good thing we put this one in the bed of the truck so they stayed cold. Mom, Pema said we just put them on the stove with some water for like half an hour, can we have them for lunch?”

Senna smiled, “Sounds good. Looks like there’s enough there to feed an army. I’ll call up Kya.”

After a lunch of dumplings and mint chocolate ice cream (courtesy of Kya) Korra took her out to explore the grounds and buildings.

“That’s where we store all the equipment. There is literally hundreds of skis and boots inside there. We also have a room full of jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, and snow pants in the main building. Those we sell in the gift shop for people who forgot to pack things. The barn is where we keep the snowmobiles and this really cool machine that makes a half pipe.”

“A pipe monster?” Asami lit up and bit her lip, “Can we go look?”

Her girlfriend laughed and led her to the barn.

Inside sat the snowmobiles and in the back, a plow with a J shaped attachment. She couldn’t help studying the mechanisms involved in the machine as well as lifting the seat covers on some of the snowmobile engines.

“If it wasn’t beneath your expertise I’d tell Kya to hire you to come do repairs for us during the ski season,” Korra smiled as she sat on one of the snowmobile’s Asami wasn’t currently studying.

The engineering student lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. “Beneath me? You think that people who work on these types of machines are what, no good?”

“What? No, I mean,” the snowboarder rubbed the back of her head and averted her gaze to some other part of the barn, “You’re going to be designing jets and airplanes and stuff. This is probably child’s play for you.”

“I see.”

She grabbed a wrench and tightened some obviously loose parts of the engine in front of her.

“This stuff isn’t beneath me, Korra. And I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I may not want to design engines for jets. I may want to repair snowmobiles for all you know.”

The shorter woman lifted her head up and leaned back. “Okay, okay, I get it.”

Asami stood up and pushed the seat back down over the engine. She sat down across from her girlfriend and played with the wrench in her hands.

“I don’t think you do, Korra,” the raven haired woman sighed and look down, “I honestly don’t know what I’ll be doing after college. I love building and designing, but if I end up repairing cars in some deadbeat auto shop, I’d probably be just as happy.”

When her girlfriend didn’t say anything she continued, “The point is, I just don’t want people assuming that I’ll be following my father’s path or anything like that. I’m my own person, you know?”

Korra’s eyes cast down and she played with the fray of her jeans. “Sorry,” the snowboarder mumbled, “I think as long as you’re happy, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing.”

Asami bit her lip and put the wrench down. She moved to sit next to her girlfriend.

“No, I’m sorry. I know what you were trying to say. I’m just, I—never mind. I overreacted is all.” She rested her hand on Korra’s knee and squeezed.

The shorter woman turned her head and then placed a hand on top of hers.

“Everything okay with your dad?”

She hesitated to reply. Then she thought against it. If she really wanted to be with this woman for as long as she claimed, she’d have to be honest.

“My dad wants me to join him in his business when I graduate. But I don’t. Yet, when he asks me where I’d rather go, I don’t have an answer,” Asami closed her eyes, “I like it all. They always said something would jump out at me the more I studied, but the more I studied the more I found that I liked. Plane engines, jet engines, car engines, heck, even snowmobiles. I want to design something for everything. I don’t want to just focus on one thing.”

She took a deep breath and tried to keep her hands from shaking. All these words which built up over the past years came tumbling out. These were things she’d never told anyone. It never seemed fair to bother people with such problems.

“I know, I know. I’m a spoiled rich girl who is so good at everything that I can’t decide on what awesome career path to take,” the college student tried to joke. Her voice fell flat, however.

Korra remained silent and let her get everything out. She also kept her hand on top of hers, holding and squeezing it so tight that it would have hurt if she hadn’t worried about the way she just unloaded on her girlfriend of almost two months.

A minute passed.

Asami swallowed and laughed, “Sorry. Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

“No. I can’t forget this,” Korra said simply.

“Oh?”

The snowboarder grinned and leaned over to place a kiss on the corner of her lips.

“Here I was thinking this girl is so perfect, so wonderful, and beautiful. She has it all. How can I even compare? How can I keep her attention? Now I find out she’s just as messed up as anyone else?” Korra blinked and then quickly added with a worried look, “Not that you’re messed up! I mean, it isn’t perfect what you’re thinking. But you’re not messed up! You’re um, you’re human! Yeah!”

Asami laughed and Korra turned bright red.

“So yeah,” the mocha-skinned woman coughed, “What I’m saying is that you’re not perfect. And that’s fine with me. I’m not perfect, either. And you know what? I don’t know what to tell you. But I do know I want you to open up to me about more stuff like this.” She grinned and leaned against her, “You’re cute when you’re all worried and stressed.”

When Asami felt her girlfriend’s muscled arm go around her shoulder and pull her close she burst into tears and pressed her face against the other woman’s chest. Most of the tears that she cried where tears of joy and happiness. The rest were just pent up stress from the last few weeks. Heck, the last few years.

Korra held her tight and she tried to etch this heat into her memory. She never wanted to forget the way she felt. It would help her get through the next month.

“So... should I put together an application for you to hand in to Kya?”

Asami laughed and rubbed her tear stained cheeks and runny nose against Korra’s shirt in retaliation.

“I’m not your personal hanky!”

She lifted her head. The grin felt out of place considering her recent crying.

“Yeah. Yeah you are. You’re my personal everything. Better get used to it,” Asami took some tissue from her pocket and blew her nose. “I could go for some hot cocoa.”

Korra smirked, “Then my mom has you covered. You and everyone else on the mountain.”

The snowboarder rose to her feet and took her hand.

“If it meant seeing you everyday, I might actually consider working here.”

“Nah. You go become some famous inventor. Then when I become a famous snowboarder, people will be super jealous when they see us together.”

Asami smiled and squeezed her girlfriend’s hand.

She could handle one month.

She could handle one month.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Just a warning: Didn't have a chance to proof it, yet.

“So yeah, basically, I’m doing all the odd jobs that don’t require someone with a lot of technical skill. I got to clean the rental building. Then I had the privilege of waxing all the skis. Tomorrow I have to do the snowboards. Oh and I still have yet to get all the boots sorted and put into their proper places,” Korra sighed and shifted the tablet in her lap. She sat on her bed with just the low light of her lamp next to her. The late hour left the house fairly silent save for the creaking walls from the strong gusting winds.

On the tablet she gazed at her girlfriend who currently lay in her own bed with her tablet propped up on something, probably a pillow, leaving her hands and arms circling a pillow which she hugged against her chest.

“Sounds like a lot of work,” Asami noted with a wry smile, “I miss you so much.”

The snowboarder sighed and tapped her fingers against the sides of the device. “I miss you, too. When did you say you were coming up?”

“Two weeks. Then my dad and his company are coming a few days after that. We’re going to do Christmas there and then I’ll go back after New Years.”

Just the thought of her girlfriend visiting made her heart flutter and ache all in the same beat. She brushed her hair back behind her ear and looked over at the clock. The numbers glared angrily. Korra ignored them.

“What do you want for Christmas?”

Asami laughed; music to her ears.

“Just you, my sweet bundle of muscles.”

The dark skinned woman rolled her eyes, “Come on! You have to want something I can get for you, I mean, aside from myself. And besides, I’d feel like a flake if I didn’t get you anything.”

“You wouldn’t be a flake,” her green eyed beauty turned to look at the ceiling. The profile made Korra bite her lower lip. “You really can’t think of anything to get me? Even after spending all that time at my place? There is nothing that jumps out at you?”

Korra looked towards the wall that held a poster of a famous snowboarder. She furrowed her brows in thought.

“Koorrraaaa...”

She shook her head and looked back to the tablet. “Okay, yeah, alright I got it,” the snowboarder suddenly yawned, “What are you getting me?”

“You look absolutely wrecked,” her girlfriend also yawned. “And I feel wrecked.”

“How are your exams going?”

“I spent all weekend finishing a motorcycle motor for one of my classes. It wasn’t super difficult, but I added a lot of extra elements to give it some extra kick. I think I may get a frame for it and install it and have myself a bike.”

“Because that’s not dangerous,” Korra smiled.

Asami turned her head towards her, “What do you mean?”

The dark skinned woman shifted her shoulders and tilted her head, “That you drive like you’re in a NASCAR race every time you’re behind the wheel.”

Immediately the raven haired woman sat up on the bed and grabbed the tablet. She gave Korra an incredulous look and then smiled. “You don’t ever complain about it when you’re riding with me,” she drawled.

“I’m too afraid!”

Asami laughed and Korra yawned.

“I’m hanging up on you so we can both sleep.”

The snowboarder opened her mouth to protest but found herself cut off.

“I’ll talk to you in a couple days. I have three more exams and then you got me every night until I arrive.”

“Fine,” Korra pouted.

“Sleep tight my little bundle of muscles,” Asami blew her a kiss which made her smile.

“I’ll be thinking of you.”

 

 

The next few days had Korra working overtime to get the place ready to open. Die-hards and season holders were already on the mountain, but the place wasn’t ready yet for the general public. However, it had to be by the weekend. She only had time to text Asami before bed every night. Even her lunch breaks had her eating bites of sandwich between helping her mother do inventory for the gift shop and unloading trucks of food for the cafeteria and kitchen.

By the time she had a proper breather she found herself being texted to her aunt’s office instead of being able to sneak off to video chat Asami.

The snowboarder knocked on the office door and found her Aunt Kya sitting at the desk with stacks of paperwork and books in front of her. She did not envy the woman whatsoever.

“Have a seat,” she gestured her down. The older woman leafed through some stapled papers and then dropped them to the desk with a sigh. “How are things going?”

Korra snorted and shook her head, “You’re working me to the bone!”

Kya smirked, “You were the one who wanted to come home and help out.”

“I know, I know,” she waved her off, “I’m just readjusting and I know once the season gets going it’ll die down. But dang, I guess I never realized how much work dad did.”

“Oh he never did the stuff you do. I had to hire someone to work on the ski lifts and snowmobiles. Since I have you now, I didn’t bother hiring someone for the work you’re doing. And because of the budget, you’re doing the work of two to three people,” her aunt looked away at the admission, “That being said I want to talk to you about the season after the New Year.”

The change of tone in Kya’s voice left the snowboarder leaning forward and at apt attention. She worried the inside of her lip with her teeth to brace herself for more bad news.

“I’m going to have you run the ski rental booth Wednesday through Sunday from open till 3 pm. The rest of the time you’re not working, I want you to practice.”

Korra released her lip and opened her mouth. She fidgeted in her seat and tried to process the news.

“That’s all I wanted to tell you. It will be busy until then, unfortunately, so get out of her and go talk to your girlfriend,” her aunt winked and picked up a stack of papers.

“Wait! You’re just having me run the rental and then you want me to practice? Are you serious? That’s not going to help out the lodge!”

The older woman shook her head and shuffled the papers. “This lodge will either continue or it will die. With or without your help. There are a lot of factors contributing to the problems and, know that I love you and your help, you aren’t going to change that by picking up extra shifts and work.”

A palpable silence filled the office and left Korra’s head spinning.

“You have your whole life ahead of you, sweetie. And I’ve seen how you are when you’re snowboarding. Those competitions are everything to you. This will just be a training year for you. Next year I want you back out there making a name for you and for us!”

Korra felt her heart swell. She wiped at her eyes with the palm of her hand and blinked away any remaining tears.

The gray haired woman dropped the papers back down on the desk and stood up. She walked around to where her niece sat and pulled her in for a small hug. Korra leaned against her and closed her eyes.

“What about mom and dad?”

“Your mother supports me. And your dad does, too. He just doesn’t know it, yet,” she chuckled and pat the younger woman on her head. “Now go! This evening is just a break. You got a lot more work, especially when we officially open on the weekend.”

The snowboarder jumped to her feet and wrapped her aunt in a big hug. She kissed the woman on the cheek then ran out the door towards her house to tell Asami the news.

It never really occurred to her that she still might have a chance to resume her snowboarding career. Now she couldn’t think about anything else.

 

 

After dinner Korra excused herself to her room and started up the tablet. She plugged in the headphones for privacy and waited for Asami to connect. Finally she saw the video start up and a fumbled picture of the woman in question.

“Hey!” the engineering student maneuvered her own tablet around until Korra saw a picture of the woman sitting at the dinner table. “Done with work already?”

She smiled and nodded. “Whatcha eating?”

Asami grinned and lifted a fork with sesame chicken stabbed on it. “I stopped by Mountain Air and got something to eat. I told everyone you said hi and that you missed them.”

“You’re so thoughtful,” Korra smiled and continued, “So I’ve got some news!”

She explained the conversation with her and her aunt and how excited she felt at being able to practice again. It’d been almost nine months since she hit the slopes. Asami ate her food in silence while she babbled on.

For some reason she talked more now that there was a great distance between them than she ever did when they lived so close. Maybe she just missed the college student. Maybe, in spite of the distance, she felt closer to her after the woman’s confession of inadequacy. Something in that confession made Asami feel more accessible and someone with whom she could talk to like this.

“I’m going to clean up and take care of the dishes. Then I’m going to get ready for bed. Give me like twenty minutes, okay?”

Korra nodded her head and waved goodbye. The video disconnected and she turned onto her back. All the feelings swirled around in her head. They made her stomach tighten.

She closed her eyes only to reopen them as her phone began ringing.

The snowboarder reached over, grabbed her cell, swiped, and pressed it up against her ear. “Bolin! Have you found anyone, yet?” she smiled and stretched.

On the other end the muscled man practically shouted into the phone, “Something even better! Chief had been renovating the top floor of the gym and apparently they just finished. She’s gonna rent it out even cheaper than the place we got here! Mako and me are moving into it in January!”

“Really?” Korra smiled and sat up, “That’s great Bolin! But why the hell are you shouting?”

She heard some traffic, fumbling, and then silence. The phone sounded like it dropped and then was picked back up. “Sorry about that,” Bolin finally replied, “I literally just got the news after work and I wanted to share it like right away. Anyways, how are things there?”

“Busy as ever,” she said as she heard her best friend clomping up the steps to his apartment, “Are you coming up for Christmas?”

“Maybe. Mako is still hesitant about spending time with dad. He says he’s going to be busy with school, but I think he just wants an excuse to not be stuck in a cabin with me and him. I heard you’ll be spending almost two weeks with your girlfriend,” he emphasized the last word with obvious implication. “Hope she gets a room by herself because your house is small and your parents will hear everything you two do!”

“Shut up!” Korra laughed and played with a hole in her sock. “I’m just worried about meeting her dad. He sounds strict.”

She heard some clunking and cupboard doors slamming.

“You’ll be fine. You’re a catch!”

His simple words made her miss him that much more. The snowboarder sighed and pulled her socks off and tossed them in the corner of the room.

“What about you, Bolin? Anything happen with that volleyball player? Dating?”

He snorted, “Nah.”

“But what about that night?”

A silence followed with sounds of him making dinner. After a few moments he said, “Nothing happened that night. I walked her back. She kissed my cheek and I chickened out.”

The confession made her want to hug him. “Aw, Bolin. Such a gentleman.”

“Whatever,” he huffed. “I called her to see if she wanted to go on another date, but she said she was busy with classes. We haven’t talked since.”

“Her loss.”

He grunted his agreement.

“You’ll meet someone,” she said enthusiastically. “And she’ll be amazing, like you.”

“I wish you were still here,” he confessed quietly, “I love my brother, but he’s such a downer. Well, he calls it _being realistic_. If that’s realistic then I want to forever be unrealistic.”

Korra silently agreed.

“Things still going good with you and Asami?”

She inhaled and bit her lip. On the exhale she replied, “They’re wonderful. I miss her so much. I miss you. I miss so many people and things down there.”

“Well hey, I’m going to eat dinner. If I don’t make it up for Christmas, we’re going to spend New Years together. Somehow or another. Okay?”

The dark skinned woman grinned and heard a beeping on her tablet. “Sounds great. Enjoy your dinner.”

“Love you, Korra!”

“Love you, too!”

She tossed the phone on the bed and flopped over to grab the tablet off the ground. With a few taps of her fingers she found herself with a very alluring vision of her raven haired girlfriend laying in bed wearing nothing but a bra and a pair of boy shorts that looked suspiciously like a pair she thought she lost in the move.

“H-hey,” she swallowed and leaned back on her pillows while taking in the vision. “You look ... wow.”

Asami laughed and brushed her wavy hair back away from her face. “You approve, then?”

Korra whistled and then nodded her head.

“I just thought since we still aren’t going to see each other for a while that maybe we can indulge in some fun activities,” the woman pressed her ruby red lips together and raised an eyebrow.

The snowboarder shivered. The sudden flush of memories of kissing and holding and rubbing flooded her mind. She could almost taste and smell her girlfriend.

“Earth to Korra,” Asami smiled and readjusted the position of the tablet to give a better view of her laying on her side on the bed. The bra, black, and lacy, offset her alabaster skin beautifully. “Did I break you?”

She laughed and shook her head, “No, I, I’m just... you are quite a vision. I feel very under dressed.”

Her girlfriend leaned forward and pursed her lips, “Looks like you’re overdressed, to me.”

Not needing to be told twice, Korra dropped the tablet on the bed and hopped up off of it. She pulled off her hoody, tank, and then shimmied out of her jeans leaving her in a gray sports bra and blue underwear. When she jumped back onto the bed she grabbed the tablet and put the ear buds in.

“So um,” she panted a little, “This is like, uh, very nice.”

The woman in the video leaned forward and smiled, “Oh yes. Good to see you haven’t been skipping out on ab day.”

Korra looked down and flexed her stomach proudly. She also lifted her arm and squeezed her bicep muscle. “Gotta stay in shape, especially if I plan on being worthy competition next year.”

“I agree,” Asami said with a lick of her lips, “It also doesn’t hurt to stay in shape for you girlfriend.”

“Oh? Am I competing with you for something?”

The college student laughed, “I just thought that your girlfriend probably enjoys running her fingers over your stomach. She might also like dragging her lips and tongue over your shoulders and arms. Things like that.”

Korra swallowed.

“Then there is the fact that your girlfriend also loves being held in that strong embrace. Your taut thighs wrapped around her own. Your heated body melting up against hers...”

She stared at her girlfriend, who, while describing such things, was running her finger tips up and down her body and across her chest and dipping between her legs. It left the snowboarder feeling very dizzy. What she wouldn’t give to be there with Asami at this moment.

“But yes, I suppose the competition is important, as well,” the woman smiled and pressed both of her hands against her thighs and squeezed.

Korra dropped the tablet and cursed. She grabbed it back up again and tried to steady it in her shaking hands. On the screen her girlfriend covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Korra blushed and then looked around. She grabbed some items and propped it up on the shelf next to her bed.

“Sorry,” she muttered as she moved pillows around until she was sitting cross legged in front of the screen. “You’re just so damn sexy. And what you’re saying is just...” the dark skinned woman shivered and squeezed her knees.

“Are you turned on?”

Not trusting her own voice, Korra merely nodded and leaned forward. She watched her girlfriend cup her own breasts and rub her palms over them.

The snowboarder knew first hand just how soft they felt.

“Would you touch yourself for me?”

She licked her lips and gave a nod. A thrill raced up her spine. At the same time she worried she wouldn’t be able to put on a very good show. This was very new to her.

“Where do you want me to start?”

Asami’s eyes flicked up and down, obviously tracing her body. The green eyed woman brought a finger up to cheek and idly tapped. “Your stomach, then your breasts, and then your thighs,” she said out of breath.

Korra brought her hands to her stomach and pressed them. She held them there and then slowly began tracing her fingers along the ridges of her muscles. Her blue eyes stared intently at her girlfriend’s. She watched the woman’s nostrils flare and moved according to the reactions she saw on screen.

At the same time the wavy haired woman continued to run her own hands up and down her body. The way her fingers and palms moved she obviously took pleasure in teasing herself.

“Is this good?” Korra’s voice came out a hoarse whisper. Her throat felt constricted. She also felt her body begin to shake a little.

“Yes,” came Asami’s equally hoarse reply. “Lay down for me?”

Korra did as she was told while making sure she could still be mostly seen in the frame. Her nipples pressed painfully against the fabric of her bra and she also felt a dampness forming along her underwear.

“Gosh I miss you,” the snowboarder gazed at her girlfriend while she squeezed her own breasts. “I wanted to. You have no idea. I really wanted us to be together, to... to make love.”

Asami’s eyes widened. Then they softened. The engineering student bit her lower lip and blinked several times. Korra smiled and shuddered as her arousal continued to increase.

“Me, too.”

Korra took a deep breath and tried to play this game, “I would have kissed your entire body. Pressed my lips everywhere. Found the spots that made you squirm the most.”

She swallowed and groaned. On screen her girlfriend pushed her bra down to reveal her breasts.

Fueled by this the snowboarder continued while also pulling on her own sports bra to show her own breasts, “I... I want to kiss and lick each of your breasts. And your stomach. And I want to run my hands over your hips and thighs.” Although she felt her words and descriptions were very inadequate, they seemed to get the other woman very riled up.

When Asami pushed a hand into those boy shorts Korra couldn’t take it anymore. She did the same. The two watched each other, writing, rubbing,and panting. Asami would whimper Korra’s name and Korra, Asami’s. It didn’t take long before the snowboarder felt her stomach muscles constrict and tighten. She closed her eyes and arched her back. A moan accompanied her climax and she immediately covered her mouth.

At the same time, in her ears, she could hear her girlfriend moaning louder and louder until a sudden silence struck. Korra looked at the screen and saw the raven haired beauty twisting with her hand locked firmly between her thighs.

She watched in awe.

While she caught her breath she continued to watch Asami. She watched the woman stiffen, relax, and wiggle with the obvious satisfaction of an orgasm. It made Korra feel very proud and at the same time so very alone.

“I want you here so much,” she whispered to herself.

Asami heard her and looked at her in the screen. “I want to be there, too.”

Korra exhaled and became very self conscious. She pulled her hand from her panties and fixed her bra.

“Just two weeks, Korra.”

“I know.”

“I love you.”

Korra lifted her eyes from where she had been wiping her hand clean on her tank top.

“You don’t have to say it in return. I just want you to know. That’s all,” the college student pulled her bra off and reached over to put on a night shirt.

The snowboarder debated a moment. She then smiled a smile so big it hurt her cheeks. “Talk to you tomorrow night?”

“Definitely,” came Asami’s husky reply.

“Sleep tight.”

“I’ll sleep best when I’m in your arms again.”

Korra felt her heart lurch. “Yeah. Me too.”


	13. Chapter 13

Asami found herself pulling into the ski lodge feeling very surprised that the police had not pulled her over for speeding the entire way from the city up through the mountains. Clear roads, nice weather, and an itch to see her girlfriend gave her a heavy lead foot for the entire car ride. The two talked every night once her exams finished and even engaged in some more lewd activities. But with the approaching holiday and Korra whining about it getting busier and busier, she saw the woman less and less, which left her feeling very anxious and longing for the mocha skinned woman’s voice, touch, taste, smell, and many other things.

Yet, it felt a whole lot more.

She told Korra that she loved her. She hadn’t meant to tell her so soon, but all the same, she couldn’t stop the burning desire in her chest and the way it flew out of her mouth before she could even take a breath.

The younger woman did not say it back.

All things considered, Asami hadn’t expected her to say those words.

All things considered, she still wanted to hear them.

Putting that notion aside, more than anything she just needed to feel her girlfriend’s arms around her and the fact that the three hour long trip took her only two showed her true desire to that need.

She easily found a parking spot in front of the main lodge and left her luggage in the car for the moment. Although she had texted ahead to let Korra know what time she’d arrive, the other woman was nowhere in sight. Some patrons walked the recently shoveled paths but most appeared already out on the slopes trying to make the most of the clear and overcast day.

The college student headed into the lodge first while keeping her eye out for Korra or the other members of the family. Inside she asked for Kya and smiled when the older woman walked out of her office and enveloped her in a hug.

“Asami, it’s good to see you again! How were your examinations?”

She grinned ear to ear and gave two thumbs up, “Just one more semester to go! At least, for this part of my schooling, maybe.” The raven haired woman gave a noncommittal shrug and then opened her mouth to ask about her girlfriend.

Kya interrupted her with a knowing smile, “She’s still doing her shift for the ski rental. I’ll take you over there after I help you take your things to your room.”

Asami gave a nod and returned with the gray haired woman to her car. On the way she rambled on about missing everyone and how things were back in the city.

“By the way, Korra claimed she’d make sure I got my room free. But I don’t want to get it for free. I’m more than able to pay for it and I’d like to do so,” she gave the older woman a firm nod as she set her suitcase down on the bed.

Kya placed a backpack and another smaller bag next to it and shook her head while laughing, “That girl. She hadn’t said a word to me. I do wonder how she would have managed.”

“Something about a Christmas gift, I think she mentioned. Who knows? But I’m technically just up here early waiting for my dad and his company so I can celebrate the holiday with him. Next time I visit I’ll just stay in her room,” though that would mean she and Korra would have to sneak off to have some fun together, Asami thought, she still preferred to share a bed with the younger woman. “I’m not going to be a bother if we go visit her right now, am I?”

“Of course not. We’re very laid back here. You can even help her until she finishes.”

She followed Kya down the winding paths and smiled at the way the snow blanketed everything. Good snow meant good business. Not quite ten minutes later she laughed when she saw Korra with her head on her arms snoozing away on the counter of the ski rental.

Kya pressed a finger to her lips. The older woman gracefully stalked over to her niece and then smacked the counter hard.

The sudden noise caused the snowboarder to jump up and fall backwards off of her stool while crying out in surprise.

Asami held her stomach and kept her lips pressed to keep the loud burst of laughter from exiting her. Her counterpart, Kya, did not hold back and hooted and hollered while the youngest of the three clambered to her feet.

Korra frowned at her aunt. Said frowned turned upside down into a huge grin when she saw who stood behind.

“Asami!” Korra yelled as she climbed up over the counter and hopped down to the other side. She wrapped her arms around the student and pulled her close.

The hug lifted Asami up off of her feet and she felt herself get twirled around twice. Once her feet settled back on the ground a pair of eager lips pressed against hers. She didn’t hesitate and pressed both of her hands to her girlfriend’s cheeks while she kissed the other woman’s mouth with such great care and adoration that she forgot entirely that another family member stood nearby.

Kya cleared her throat and Korra eventually pulled away while still holding the taller woman close.

“I do expect you to finish your shift,” the older woman explained, “And try to keep the PDA to a minimum while you’re behind the counter. I’ll see you both at dinner in my house, okay?”

Korra saluted and Asami thanked her from the confines of the snowboarder's arms. Kya chuckled and left the small building.

“So this is where you work, huh?”

Her short little bundle of muscles nodded and then pulled away and dragged her through a door right next to the window opening. Asami studied her girlfriend. Her hair looked a little longer, but she otherwise looked the same. Instead of some kind of uniform she had on a thick fleece navy hoody and a pair of blue jeans.

“All the skis, boots, poles, boards, and whatever else you could need or want for a fun time on the slopes are back here. Inventory and paperwork are a headache, but otherwise it’s just checking them in and and out and in and out and-”

“Sleeping on the job?”

Korra blushed and pulled up another stool. She patted it while taking a seat on her own. Asami graciously accepted and also scooted a little closer so she could rest a hand on the other woman’s leg.

“I worked all day yesterday. I helped unload a couple trucks and then shoveled all the walks. Dad is on his feet again but all he can do is order the workers around. And getting up at 3 AM to come sit here all morning didn’t exactly help get my blood flowing.”

“When do you finish?”

The mocha skinned woman leaned over and glanced at a clock on the computer, “About two hours. I got your message but I really didn’t think you’d make it up here so fast.”

Asami leaned forward and pulled the woman into a deep kiss. When she pulled back she smiled, “I missed you.”

Her girlfriend grinned dazedly.

“I need a pair of kid’s skis,” came a voice from the other side of the open window.

Korra shook her head and went into work mode. Asami smiled at the father and son while she tapped her fingers on the counter and took in the small building. The open window let in all the cold air from the outside, but it seemed warm enough with a few small heaters placed on the floor.

The building had a worn feeling to it with splintered wooden flooring, chipping painted walls, and a color scheme from three decades prior.

Once the younger woman finished she plopped back down and stretched her arms over her head. Asami tried to imagine that without the hoody covering those defined arms and shoulders.

“I figured tomorrow after work we’d hit the slopes, if you’re okay with that?”

The college student raised a single eyebrow, “Are you going to have enough energy?”

“A good night’s sleep and no more running back and forth across the entire resort running errands for dad and Aunt Kya and I should be ready to go. I haven’t been on a snowboard since March, but my legs are itchin’ to go,” Korra kicked said legs out and back in, “We’ll put you on a pair of skis, though, since you don’t have much experience.”

Asami pressed a hand back on her girlfriend’s leg and held it there. She licked her lips and said in a quiet, husky voice, “I was hoping to wear you out tonight, actually.”

At that admission Korra’s dark cheeks went even darker in that blush. “Tonight?” Her voice squeaked. Laughter escaped Asami’s lips.

“Only if you want. But I figured after those few video sessions... you know?”

The snowboarder averted her eyes and pretended to sort some pieces of paper on the desk beneath the counter.

“Korra,” Asami squeezed her thigh.

“No... yeah... I mean,” the younger woman took a deep breath, “I really want to. You should just know that... you’d be my first with a woman.”

“I remember that,” Asami rubbed the thigh under her hand. It suddenly dawned on her the other woman’s choice of words. “You’ve... done it with a man?”

Korra shrugged her shoulders and frowned, “Not exactly.”

When the engineering major continued to stare, the shorter woman relented and explained, “I was dating this guy in high school and we thought we’d give it a try. We put the condom on, he almost, well, you know, and then he... finished a tad too soon.”

Right at the last part the raven haired woman burst out laughing. She couldn’t contain it any longer and leaned back holding her belly with one hand while wiping tears away from her eyes with the other.

“I think I can empathize with him,” she managed to blurt out during the fit.

Korra bit her lower lip and watched seemingly serious. At the same time she looked as if she, too, might burst out laughing at any moment.

Asami calmed down and took a few deep breaths. “Poor guy,” she managed to croak out, “Did you two break up after that?”

Korra shook her head. “We broke up after this girl from a visiting school kissed me in the locker room.”

“Oh really now?”

The snowboarder wiggled on her stool and played with the pocket of her hoody. “She was there as a cheerleader for the boy’s basketball game and she wanted to show me a video on her phone and well, yeah, that kind of just happened.”

“How did he find out?” Asami leaned forward with great interest.

“He didn’t. I just realized in that kiss that I’d never really been attracted to him... or any guy for that matter. Kissing her felt so much more exciting than it did with him any day of the week. And I didn’t even know her!”

“Aww,” the engineering major pressed her lips against her girlfriend’s cheek, “Crazy how that happens, huh?”

Korra simply shrugged her shoulders and tried with doomed failure to keep from looking sheepish.

“My first time with a woman wasn’t until college. But I couldn’t swear off guys. My realization was that I liked both.”

“Do you still like both?”

Asami shook her head and bit her lower lip. She released the lip and nuzzled a spot beneath Korra’s ear, “At this point, I’m pretty sure I’m just Korra-sexual.”

Her adorable snowboarder snorted and then hugged her whilst giggling.

“You’re such a dork!”

The raven haired woman smiled and inhaled the scent of her girlfriend. She didn’t care if she was a dork. She knew where she wanted to be for the rest of her life.

 

 

After the next person came in to work the second shift, Asami and Korra made their way to the house. Once inside Korra peeled off her hoody leaving her in just a t-shirt. She plopped down onto the couch where the college student joined her.

“Parents?”

Korra yawned and leaned against her, “Mom is probably helping Aunt Kya do paperwork. Dad is helping out with the snowmobiles. Light work there. He really wants to get back out maintaining the ski lifts. He loves being outside.”

“Need a nap?”

“You aren’t going to leave me if I do sleep, are you?”

Asami chuckled and shook her head. She pulled the younger woman against her and leaned back till she had her half on top of her. While not big, the couch seemed to manage the both of them well enough.

“This is nice,” her girlfriend murmured.

“Agreed,” Asami replied while running her hands through the nearly shoulder length dark brown locks. The quiet of the house was only broken up by the yelling and laughter outside from the patrons of the resort.

A few minutes later did she feel the woman’s breathing even out. She felt her own eyes begin to droop. Leaving at such an early hour and driving so far and so fast took a toll on her own body. Now here she lay comfortable, warm, and content.

Sometime later she awoke to the sharp noise of the door closing. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up but Korra was still zonked out on top of her. It caused her to giggle while also looking towards the hall to see who returned home.

Korra’s father walked into the living room and then stopped when he saw them.

“She’s asleep,” Asami mumbled while blushing.

He stared, nodded, and turned towards another hall which led to his and Senna's bedroom.

The raven haired woman let out a breath she’d been holding. She patted her girlfriend’s back and wiggled her body.

“Korra. Wake up sleepy head.”

Slowly, the younger woman stirred. She watched as the brown haired head lifted and blue eyes blinked tiredly. Asami smiled and kissed her forehead.

“Dinner time?”

“Probably.”

Korra pushed up off of her and then groaned and dropped back down. Asami let out a surprised breath of air. She laughed and hugged the shorter woman.

Then she began tickling her Korra. It gave her the best reaction when she felt her twisting and squirming and yelping for help. Korra grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head while trying to catch her breath. She stared down and leaned in for a kiss.

Asami closed her eyes. Just as she felt those lips press against hers she heard the clearing of a deep voiced throat.

Korra lifted up immediately and Asami sighed.

“Dad! When did you get back?”

“Just a few moments ago.”

The tall man stepped through and into the kitchen. Korra leaned back and pulled Asami upright on the couch. The look she received from the snowboarder told her she probably should have warned her about her father.

“Where did your mother put the rabbit?”

Asami watched the mocha skinned woman rise from the couch and go towards her father’s voice, “Should be bottom drawer. I thought we were eating at Aunt Kya’s though?”

“We are,” he said from the other room.

The college student composed herself and brushed her hair with her hands. She followed Korra and kept a slight distance behind her.

Her girlfriend’s father had a Ziploc bag with some meat inside in his hand. He looked at her briefly then back to his daughter.

“I’m dropping this off at Teilan’s on the way there. He was hoping Bolin would be with Asami, but I see that isn’t the case,” his voice sounded tired and irritated. “You two go on ahead. I’ll be right over.”

Korra nodded and looked back at Asami. She smiled then followed her girlfriend towards the door. After they put their shoes and Korra’s hoody back on, they walked across to the lodge, past that, and up a winding trail.

Nestled inside a small forest sat a cabin a might bigger than Korra’s. A warm glow emanated from the windows.

She followed her inside without even knocking.

“Mom. Aunt Kya. We’re here.”

Senna rounded the corner with a smile. The woman laid her eyes right on Asami, then opened her arms with wordless invitation. Asami took her up on it and hugged the woman. Same height as Korra.

“Nice to see you again,” she said while giving a squeeze.

Asami pulled back, “You, also.”

“Where’s your father?” Kya stepped around the corner while wiping her hands with a towel. “I sent him a message to go fetch you both.”

“He’s dropping off some rabbit to Bolin’s dad,” Korra said while she pulled off her boots. When Senna released Asami, she did the same.

The two women nodded and led them into the dining room. All the dishes were already laid out and a wonderful aroma came from the nearby kitchen.

“What did you two get up to after Korra’s shift?”

Kya excused herself back to the kitchen while Senna made small talk.

“Korra passed out on the couch and I followed shortly after,” Asami shrugged her shoulders and patted her girlfriend’s shoulder. “It was a nice nap, though!”

The snowboarder’s mother laughed, “You’re both too young to have to take naps in the middle of the day!”

“Mom...”

Once Tonraq arrived everyone settled down for dinner. A whole turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies, and cherry pie for dessert.

“This is because we won’t have much time, even on Christmas day, to sit down and eat a good meal during the holidays. We try to get it done early,” Korra explained when Asami commented on the feast.

While they ate they discussed the plan for hosting the Sato Airplane company. The college student fielded questions about the city and Bolin (whom she only saw once since Korra's return home). General banter and a few embarrassing stories about her girlfriend followed.

During dessert, Tonraq, who’d been mostly quiet throughout the meal, addressed Asami, “Are you staying with us while you’re here?”

The engineering major shook her head, “I have a room. I didn’t want to impose.”

“We wouldn’t have minded,” Senna smiled.

“I’ll take you up on that next time,” she smiled and felt Korra’s hand lace into her own beneath the table. “My dad will want to spend time with me once he gets here, so it’s better that I’m available for him.”

“I figured I’d spend the night with her, keep her company and stuff when I’m not working,” Korra piped up while squeezing the hand in her own.

Tonraq put his fork down and lifted his eyes. He looked back and forth between Korra and Asami. Asami felt a pang of worry.

“Spending the night? At your age?”

“Oh Tonraq!” Kya dropped her fork on the plate with a clatter and fixed her eyes on him. “They’re adults. Stop with this intimidation nonsense.” She leaned over and smacked his injured shoulder.

He winced and gave his sister a dirty look. “What was that for?!”

“You’re being mean to this poor girl! She’s your daughter’s girlfriend for pete’s sake!”

“I just don’t think they need to spend the night together!”

Korra rolled her eyes and dropped her head. Asami stared wide eyed and silent at the scene.

Senna reached over and gave her husband’s good shoulder a squeeze. “Honey, she is 18. Almost 19. Besides, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be her first time,” the woman’s eyes flit to Korra who blushed.

“I don’t want to hear that!”

Kya reached out again to smack his shoulder, only this time he jumped up from his seat. The older woman leaned back and shook her head at him.

“Well hear this, your daughter has sex. And will continue to. And while we’re on the subject, I’ve had sex. And probably will continue to. So stop being so old fashioned and such a fuddy duddy!”

Tonraq covered his eyes. He squeezed his forehead and waved his arm out wide, “I don’t want to hear any of this!” He stomped out of the room while grumbling and saying stuff about his little girl and how she’ll always be pure to him.

Korra dropped her head to the table next to her plate.

Senna smiled at Asami with a mouthed apology and turned to follow her husband.

“You two get on out of here. I’m sure you have your own activities,” Kya sighed as she pushed up from the table.

“Is everything okay?” Asami asked as she patted Korra’s back soothingly.

The gray haired woman smiled and nodded. “He’s always been overprotective of his daughter. But that doesn’t mean he dislikes you. He was talking the other day about how impressed he was that you rebuilt a transmission at age fourteen.”

Asami looked to her girlfriend who mumbled something incoherent.

“In any case, don’t worry about keeping Korra overnight. He’ll get over it. He just wants to cling to her like she’s still ten years old.”

The raven haired woman nodded and watched as Kya followed the path to Senna and Tonraq.

“I’m sorry,” Korra lifted her head. She still had remnants of a deep blush along her ears and neck. “My dad is just... yeah. He didn’t grill you last time because I think he was a little out of it from the painkillers.”

Asami laughed, “He loves you. That’s okay. And hey, my dad might be worse, so, I get to be more embarrassed!”

Her little bundle of muscles shook her head and then stood from her chair, “This is going to be a fun couple of weeks.” Sarcasm tinted her voice like thick molasses.

They left the house a few minutes later with Tonraq and Kya still bickering in another room.

“They’ll be okay, right?”

Korra gave a nod, “Yeah. You haven’t done anything wrong. Aunt Kya is right, though, dad is always impressed when I tell him about you. He’s even said he would have loved to have you as a daughter.”

Asami felt a warmth bloom in her chest.

They walked slowly along the path leading back to the lodge. The sliver of a moon over head gave very little light but with the pure white snowy grounds it didn’t matter.

She held Korra’s hand and Korra placed the joined hands in the pocket of her hoody. She found the action so very much like her girlfriend: sweet.

Outside of her room, the raven haired woman hesitated. She held the key card in her hand and bit her lip while studying the other woman’s face.

Korra appeared apprehensive and nervous.

“If it makes you feel any better, my stomach is all in knots, too,” she admitted to the snowboarder. “We don’t have to do anything tonight.”

“You’d wait forever, huh?”

Asami smiled and pulled her in for a hug.

“I can’t get enough of you,” the engineer pressed her lips against the top of her girlfriend’s head, “I would wait. You know?”

“Then why don’t you show me your room, okay?”

Asami felt her breath hitch. She closed her eyes and steeled her jelly knees. One step back. Key card swiped. Handle turned and door open.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Otterpen, what'd you do on your days off?  
> Oh, just shopped, cleaned, and wrote Korrasami smut. You?

Korra held her breath as she walked into the room with Asami. She exhaled slowly as the college student pulled her by her hand towards the bed. Blood pounded in her ears. She felt flush and her rib cage hurt from the thudding of her heart.

She unconsciously licked her lips when Asami pressed her hands against her cheeks and leaned forward. Even though she foresaw the kiss happening it still managed to surprise her. The softness of the raven haired woman’s lips. Her taste. Her smell.

The snowboarder tried her best to keep her head on straight. She didn’t want to dissolve into a blubbering mess of goo before anything good happened.

With great discomfort she managed to pull back from the quickly deepening kiss. She pressed her hands on top of Asami’s and pulled them down in front of her stomach.

“Wow,” she murmured as she closed her eyes. “Can I just say that I really really missed you?”

Asami’s laughter danced lightly in her ears.

“Do you mind if I take a shower, first?”

She opened her eyes and found the taller woman looking down and watching her with such fondness that it made the breath catch in her throat.

“That’s not a bad idea,” the engineering major nodded her head, “Go ahead.”

She let go of her girlfriend’s hands, turned, and walked dazedly into the bathroom. Once inside she flipped the light on and stood in front of the mirror to study herself. Her hair looked messy, her cheeks were dark from blushing, and her lips swollen from kissing.

Every time she studied herself after spending time with Asami she found herself looking vastly different from who she was without the green eyed woman.

“Okay,” the dark skinned woman shook her head and slapped her cheeks once, “This is going to happen. For real!”

She turned the shower on and peeled her clothes off. Shoes kicked to the corner and everything else piled in a mess next to the sink. Korra stepped into the already steaming streams of water behind the curtain.

The heat felt soothing after the cold day. Though it didn’t soothe her desire for Asami. Some time passed while she let the shower wash away the grime from the past 18 hours.

Then suddenly a voice perked up from behind the curtain.

“I'm joining you, if that's okay?”

Korra stiffened when she heard the curtain rings slide across the metal bar. She glanced back to see dark hair and milky white skin entering the shower with her. Her eyes instinctively moved back towards the wall beneath the showerhead.

A pair of hands pressed against her bare back. The touch made her shiver in spite of the hot water cascading down her body.

“You okay?”

She nodded and took several breaths.

“Turn around, Korra,” the voice didn’t command. It suggested. But the suggestion sounded so enticing.

The snowboarder turned around. Her gaze landed on a pair of feet. Toenails painted dark red. Feet a little smaller than her own both in length and width. Asami’s toe next to her big toe was the longest on both feet.

“Look at me my little bundle of muscles.”

Asami’s hands pressed on her shoulders now. They rubbed up and down her arms. Behind her the shower pounded on the back of her neck. Every bit of her skin felt heightened to the touches and the drops of water.

She lifted her eyes. Bare legs, smooth, lightly muscled, and thighs that made her hands press against the sides.

It made no sense to Korra. She’d seen Asami half naked many times. Why did this moment have such an impact on her?

Sex. Obviously.

“Sorry,” Korra smiled and licked her lips. “I’m nervous, obviously, but I’m being way too skittish, aren’t I?”

This time she managed to lift her gaze up the rest of the way. Patch of jet black curls, flat stomach, well shaped breasts with pink nipples, and finally those alluring cat-like eyes.

Her girlfriend smiled and kissed her.

Korra wrapped her arms around the other woman and pulled her close. A quake built up in her core and shuddered its way out to her limbs when she felt her girlfriend's naked body on her own.

Asami kissed her lips. Her cheeks. Along her jaw. She pushed her hair back behind her ears and nibbled on the lobe. Korra ran her hands up and down her girlfriend’s naked back. She hesitated, then boldly cupped the other woman’s buttocks.

“You’re cute when you’re skittish,” she felt the breath against her neck. “How about we have some shower fun and then see how we feel and take it from there?”

“You feel pretty good from where I’m standing,” Korra grinned as she nosed at the side of the college student’s still somewhat dry hair. As if to prove her words she squeezed the pair of buttocks in her hands.

Her girlfriend laughed and then turned her around and pushed her against the shower wall. It probably seemed better in thought than execution, since the edges of the bathtub made for an awkward angle. Still, Korra couldn’t fault her for she’d been thinking the same thing.

The two kissed some more while Korra slid her hands up and threaded them into Asami’s hair. Eventually the kissing died down and exploratory hands took over to leave their lips to recover.

Somehow Asami managed to keep her mind on the tasks: she washed Korra’s hair, then lathered the bar soap and spent quite a bit of time on Korra’s chest and stomach, which drove the snowboarder crazy.

She didn’t go near her hips, thighs, or the place between her legs. Korra didn’t know if she should be grateful or irritated.

“I know you wanted to wait because you felt you weren’t ready,” the college student panted while she talked. Korra had her soapy hands on her girlfriend’s stomach and slowly inched them up towards her chest. “But I’m personally glad we waited. This feels so much more special than if we had just jumped in, if that makes sense.”

The only thing Korra could manage was a grunt as she rubbed her palms on Asami’s breasts. She could feel the hard nipples underneath.

“Glad you feel the same,” Asami giggled.

 

By the time the two finished Korra’s hands had a faint wrinkle. Any longer and she’d have turned into a prune.

Asami took pleasure in drying her off with one of the towels. It made the dark skinned woman feel very special, especially in the way she gently pressed against her head, hands, legs, and feet.

She grabbed a towel as soon as she deemed herself dry enough and went to work on her girlfriend. The woman giggled while Korra tried her best to wrap her long hair in that turban way she never really mastered. Doing it on herself was one thing, but doing it for another was way more difficult.

After toweling, an impromptu use of the hair drier, and some more kissing, the two laid in bed, under the covers, facing one another and holding hands.

“I’d be more than ecstatic just to sleep next to you,” Asami said after a long silence.

“You don’t want to?-” Korra left the question hanging in the air.

Her girlfriend raised her eyebrows and then blew a stray dark tendril away from her face, “I do! I mean, in the sense that I want to only if you want to.”

“I want to,” she scooted closer and brought that mechanically-inclined hand to her lips. “I’m tired, dog tired, but all I want to do is continue to touch you, to kiss you, to,” she dropped her eyes to the fingers in front of her mouth, “to kiss other parts of you.”

When she finally looked back up at the college student she found herself surprised to see a blush on the older woman’s cheeks.

“I... May I start us off?”

Korra nodded. Her breath hitched in her throat as Asami let go of her hand, threw the covers back, and straddled her hips. Above her the view of a goddess filled her vision. That black hair fell in waves over porcelain shoulders. Green eyes pierced deep into her heart. Swollen pink lips with a touch of tongue caused a groan to spasm in her throat.

She felt those experienced hands touch her stomach, then slide up to her breasts, but instead of staying there, they continued higher until the fingers thread into her shorter hair. Asami kissed her with so much passion that it caused Korra’s body to arch and press up against her girlfriend.

“A-asami,” she moaned as the enchanting woman slowly ground her hips down onto hers. Her girlfriend shifted and slipped one of her legs between her own. She lifted her arms to wrap them around the other woman only to find her wrists being grabbed and pushed above her head. “Asami?”

That raven haired shook her head and nipped her nose. “You just lay back and let me do some fun things, okay?”

Korra swallowed. She somehow managed to say, “Okay,” in spite of the way her throat suddenly clamped closed.

Fun things indeed. Asami let go of her hands after assuring the snowboarder would not try to touch her again. She then trailed her lips and tongue down her neck and settled them onto her collarbone. A hiss exited Korra’s lips as she felt the college student suck on and softly bite the spot for several long and pleasurably excruciating moments.

When she tired of that spot she continued south. Her teeth dragged along Korra’s breasts and she left a trail of saliva that cooled immediately showing the contrast of her heated body to the surrounding air.

The moment that heated tongue came in contact with her nipple she lifted her torso up off the bed and sighed dramatically. Asami pushed her back down and then pulled the whole nipple and some of her breast into her mouth. She looked down at the older woman and watched with such intensity that a slight triumph of adrenaline pumped through her when she saw the tips of Asami’s ears turn red.

She flexed her hands on either side of her head wishing, hoping, and wanting to touch her girlfriend. The fervor of doing so made her whimper longingly.

Asami grinned with her breast still in her mouth. She’d heard the whimper. Those green eyes glanced towards their next target and quickly she gave the same treatment to her other nipple. Korra squirmed and squeezed her thighs around Asami’s thigh. No doubt the woman felt her wetness.

When the raven haired woman finally finished the treatment of her chest she scooted farther down. Her tongue and lips traced along her abs and in and out of her belly button. Instead of letting her breasts cool like other parts of her skin Asami placed both her hands on them and squeezed and kneaded.

Korra covered her eyes and mouth while she panted out of her nose like she was in the midst of leg raises from the pull up bar.

“You smell so nice,” Asami commented as she nuzzled the skin above her sex.

Korra laughed, “That would be the soap.” She lifted her head and uncovered her eyes. The sight of that jet black hair spread on her thighs and those green eyes so close to such an intimate part of her body caused the snowboarder to go completely blank.

As if sensing this, Asami merely smiled and lowered her head.

The moment she felt the woman’s tongue press against her Korra dropped her head and pushed her hips up. Her girlfriend slid her arms beneath her thighs and held her there as she tasted, nibbled, and nosed down there.

“Damn! Asami!” Korra groaned and writhed as the woman worked her mouth. She had nothing to compare this feeling to but she knew she loved it more than anything she’d ever done to herself. It probably didn’t hurt that she’d been worked up by the woman for well over an hour.

Her girlfriend moaned against her. The vibrations went directly up into the mocha skinned woman’s chest. She gripped the sheets next to her because otherwise she’d be gripping Asami’s wavy hair.

“Ahh..ah!” Although she’d felt the build up she didn’t think it would happen so quick. Korra lifted her hips up as the climax struck her like lightning. She bit her lower lip, closed her eyes, and muffled the yell with her hand.

Colors appeared behind her lids. So many colors.

It occurred to her moments later that Asami had continued licking her and grinding her face against her enjoying every taste and feel of the snowboarder.

In spite of the order from earlier Korra touched the other woman and pushed her gently away. “No more! No more!”

Asami giggled and lifted her head. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and slowly moved until she laid next to the shorter woman.

Korra stared at her. Her cheeks and nose glistened with her own fluids. The woman licked her lips several times. Korra pulled her close and kissed her. She didn’t care about her taste. It didn’t bother her.

She moved her lips and cleaned her girlfriend’s face all the while running her hands up and down that volleyball muscled body.

“I take it you enjoyed?”

She smiled and leaned back.

“Yeah,” she said. She felt Asami’s hand rubbing her stomach soothingly. “Sorry I, um, I mean, so fast...”

Her head tilted towards the curtains. It was then she noticed Asami had one of the larger, nicer rooms at the lodge. Big screen TV, big window which probably overlooked the slopes, desk, comfy chairs, mini fridge, and, thanks to Aunt Kya (no doubt), a big fruit basket on the table in the corner.

The raven haired woman grabbed her cheek and pulled her gaze from the room. She kissed her.

“I'm taking it as a compliment.”

Korra snorted which made Asami’s eyebrow raise.

The two women devolved into a fit of giggles during which Korra pulled the college student against her and rolled her around on the bed. A sudden rush filled her veins and she had way more energy than she’d had all day.

 

 

She really wanted to pin Asami down but the other women fought back as the rolled with her on the bed. While the actions had an overtly playful tone to them, there also lay, just underneath, a competitiveness between the two women—as if both wanted to top the other.

Her girlfriend put up a good struggle, but Korra won out using her brute strength. She pinned the taller woman down and kissed her neck hoping to leave the same mark she felt on her collarbone. Beneath her she could feel that alabaster skinned woman squirming and arms pushing to try to get free.

Once the snowboarder decided the spot on her neck was dark enough she pulled away and placed her lips back on Asami’s. She let go of the woman’s hands and smiled as she felt them slip around her neck.

Between kisses she asked the raven haired woman how she wanted her.

Asami ceased the kisses by biting on her lower lip and holding. When she let go she looked up into her eyes and gave a Cheshire grin, “I want you every way. Backwards, front, sideways, angled, top, bottom...”

Korra shook her head and covered that mouth. Asami continued to talk in spite of that palm against her lips. When her girlfriend quieted down she pulled the hand away and puffed her cheeks.

“I meant now. This moment. Don’t be a smart ass.”

“You love my smartassery,” the college student countered.

She couldn’t dispute that. “All the same...”

The woman beneath her lifted up and pecked her lips. “Let’s start with your fingers. I’d love to see that bicep in action as you touch me,” her husky voice sent a thrill up Korra’s spine.

Although her hand shook as she slide it down Asami’s body she also couldn’t help enjoy the way the woman felt. Soft skin, taut muscles, and this nice rounded thigh that she could grope until spring broke. And then even after that.

Korra moved and straddled the other thigh she did not currently have a hand on. Her lips tasted and nipped Asami’s while she hesitantly traced her fingers in those black curls.

“It’s okay,” her girlfriend whispered, “I’ll direct you.”

The hand that played with the hair on the nape of her neck moved down and covered hers. True to her word the green eyed woman did direct her. She moved her hand until she felt her fingers dip into a familiar heat and juicy soft skin. If Asami’s body was anything like her own it meant she really must like her or at least being with her.

“Oh, mmm!” Asami tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

Korra watched her. She felt a certain kind of power giving the other woman this much pleasure.

Asami moved her fingers around; they grazed over that familiar swollen nub and the woman beneath her bucked.

“Rub right there, please?”

The snowboarder did as she was told. She also incorporated some things that she knew she enjoyed all the while watching and seeing how this wondrous goddess responded. Her girlfriend did not disappoint; not in the way she bit her lower lip; not in the way she whimpered and moaned.

Eventually she opened her eyes and pulled on Korra’s hair with her other hand.

“I’m going to let go... I want you to push a couple fingers into me, okay? Just don’t forget about this place as you do,” when the mocha skinned woman swallowed and gave a nod Asami assured her, “Worst case scenario, I’ll just have to show you with my hand again.”

She took a deep breath and moved her fingers lower. The moment she entered the woman she almost came again herself.

“Whoa,” Korra kissed the raven haired woman who moaned into her mouth.

She pushed in and out of her while using her thumb to continue to stimulate. Her motions felt disjointed at first but she soon found a rhythm. It didn’t help that she also had to concentrate on the kissing, licking, and nipping.

Another thing that surprised and distracted her was her own lustful desire that presented itself with her grinding herself onto Asami’s thigh as she worked her fingers in the woman.

“You’re so sexy and hot,” Korra breathed against her lips, “This is amazing. You feel so amazing.”

Asami smiled, gasped, and closed her eyes again. She whispered, “Right there, curl in and press!”

The snowboarder refocused on the task at hand and did her best to please. She rested her lips on her girlfriend’s shoulder and watched the woman twist, turn, and eventually grab her hair with both of her hands and hold tight.

It entranced her watching Asami climax. That sweaty skin, now very messy hair, and parted lips all glimmered in the faint light coming from the slope between the curtains. She ceased her actions but didn’t remove her hand.

When the older woman finally settled back down on the bed Korra realized she hadn’t moaned or made a peep. Aside from some grunting and now a faint groan as she moved her head back and forth, she’d been fairly silent. The snowboarder watched curiously.

Slowly Asami opened her eyes and sought out Korra’s. The two shared a moment that made the younger woman’s heart stop.

Without warning she found herself being pulled up and down and into such a passionate kiss that she removed her hand from inside her girlfriend and wrapped both arms around her—as if she might become one person with the woman if she pulled hard enough.

The kissing lasted at least a good minute and when the two women pulled apart they panted desperately for oxygen.

“I love you,” whispered Asami repeatedly as she peppered Korra’s face with kisses.

Korra grinned and moved them both so that they were on their sides next to each other. She rubbed the college student’s back and sighed. When Asami finished with her kisses and rested her head on the pillow the snowboarder looked at her. She really looked. She looked at her green eyes, her long eyelashes, her pointed nose, her high cheekbones, shapely eyebrows, and how her usually perfect hair matted against her sweaty forehead.

She reached out and brushed some of it away.

Asami pulled her hand down and kissed it. It was the one she used to give her such pleasure just moments prior.

“I love you, too.”

Her girlfriend said nothing. Instead she moved close and kissed Korra with such tenderness that she knew she’d meant what she’d said.

 

She was in love with Asami.

 


	15. Chapter 15

Asami awoke to glaring sunlight coming in through the large window in her room. She frowned and pulled the covers over her head. After a moment and with a heavy sigh she pushed them back and crawled out. The cooler air made her shiver and she grabbed the top blanket and wrapped it over her shoulders and around her body. A smile graced her lips as she stared out at the bright white slopes.

She felt tired, but not the kind that would have her yawning and crawling back for the comfort of the bed. She also felt a little sore. Korra had her going for two more lovemaking sessions before the two collapsed from the severe lack of energy. Though she didn’t know what time they finally fell asleep, she knew it was late, or early, given the grumblings of her mocha-skinned girlfriend.

Speaking of the beauty, Asami scanned the room and found not a single trace of the woman. No doubt she ran off to do her job at the rental building. A vague memory of an annoying alarm going off cropped up in her mind. As well as being pried away from a heated muscled body.

With a sigh the college student padded over to the bathroom. After a nice hot shower and a phone call for housekeeping, she wandered on down in search of a hot cup of coffee and breakfast. Well, she thought while looking at the time on her phone, almost lunch at this point.

A thought popped into her mind and she followed the signs towards the food court.

Thirty minutes later she walked up to the rental building with two Styrofoam containers of food and bottles tucked under her arms. The sight of the snowboarder fast asleep with her head resting on her arm on the counter made her grin from ear to ear.

“Hey sleepy head,” she drawled as she set everything down and leaned in. She pressed her lips against the top of Korra’s head and inhaled the scent of the hotel shampoo. Her eyes scanned down and saw her wearing the same clothes from yesterday.

The younger woman slowly stirred and then lifted her eyes. She smiled, yawned, and stretched her arms outward.

“What time is it?”

Asami made a show of taking her cell phone out and checking.

“Nearly eleven. I just woke up myself about an hour ago,” she gave a sheepish grin while Korra let her in through the side door. “I grabbed us some of those meatball subs from that place in the food court. They just looked really tasty.”

Korra’s blue eyes lit up and she immediately pulled open her container. “Good choice!” she inhaled deeply and made a show of tearing open the wrapper. “And sorry if I woke you up earlier,” she said before taking a big bite of her sub.

Asami pulled a chair next to her. She opened her own container and nibbled on her side of french fries.

“That’s okay. I feel bad that I kept you awake so late,” a blush dusted her cheeks, “You weren’t late, were you?”

Her girlfriend shook her head. She swallowed and replied, “I had to run but I made it in time. It’s still quiet on the mountain so I only had three customers all day. Most of the people here right now have their own gear. It’ll get really busy when your dad’s company arrives, I bet.”

The reminder made Asami’s heart race. Her father would finally be meeting Korra. She didn’t doubt that he wouldn’t like her, but with their confessions and the sudden intimacy, she felt the stakes were much higher than before.

“What time do you finish?”

The snowboarder glanced at the old and battered clock on the wall above her. “Another hour. Everyday from four to noon. At least until after the new year, then four to five days a week with training the rest of the time. Just gotta get through these next few weeks.”

Asami reached over and rubbed her shoulder, “You can do it.”

They shared a small kiss before working on their meals.

By the time they finished eating Korra’s replacement, a young man with dreds and sunglasses way too big for his face, arrived for his shift. Korra introduced him as Umu. The two talked briefly about the lent equipment then Korra punched a card on a time clock on the wall behind one of the large shelves of boots.

She led Asami out the side door and grabbed her hand. She laced their fingers together as they walked down the shoveled path.

“I know I said I’d take you on the mountain, but right now, all I want to do is have a nap and zone out watching some TV,” her girlfriend yawned and pulled her close.

Asami giggled and squeezed the hand in hers. “Sounds good. Is your mom working right now? I could go for some of her hot cocoa. With that and snuggling you on the couch, I think it will be a nice afternoon.”

Korra blushed and looked away. She licked her lips and cleared her throat, “Can we watch in your room? Mom and dad are always popping in and out of the house and they’d interrupt us constantly. I mean, if you’re so die hard for the hot cocoa we can stop by for a little while...”

The engineering major raised an eyebrow, “If that’s what you want, I don’t mind. I just want to spend time with my girlfriend.” She leaned over and kissed the snowboarder’s cheek.

“Actually, why don’t we stop back at the house really quick,” Korra turned her down a path and within no time they arrived at the cabin. Compared to the activities outside with the people and snowmobiles, the inside had an almost stuffy silence.

“No one is here,” her girlfriend murmured. She heard a sigh blow past those tasty lips. “Just kick the snow off your boots. Come on.”

Asami did as she was told and followed the other woman into her bedroom. She paused at the door and watched that sexy body bend over. Korra pulled a bag from beneath her bed and then went to her dresser where she began to stuff it full with clothes.

“Running away?” A smirk graced her ruby red lips.

Korra grunted and moved over to the closet where she grabbed several sweatshirts off the hangars. “I... I figured I’d stay with you while you’re here.”

That eyebrow raised again. The college student bit the inside of her lip. She stayed in the doorway while she watched the shorter woman zip up the bag.

“I have no objection to you staying with me. In fact, I’m more than happy to sleep with you every night,” she flushed and cleared her throat, “Well, _sleep_ and sleep. Still, I feel like you’re doing this as a result of something... Maybe your father?”

Her girlfriend ceased all movements. She sighed and pushed down on her bag to get the zipper closed.

“Korra?”

“He’s just being insufferable. It doesn’t matter, though. I was going to stay with you anyways,” she slung the bag over her shoulder and walked towards Asami who stood like a statue in the doorway.

The younger woman stared at her. She shifted her weight and then puffed her cheeks. Asami crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to smile at the cute, stubborn antics of her girlfriend, who, was now groaning in annoyance.

“I don’t want to talk about it!”

“You’re not coming to my room until you tell me.”

Korra growled and dropped her bag. She walked over to her bed and flopped face first on it like a child throwing a tantrum.

Asami bit the inside of her cheek. She exhaled and entered the room crossing the short distance to the small bed. Memories of watching the younger woman do naughty things to herself on this spot entered her mind. With great effort she pushed those thoughts away and focused on the irritated mumbling snowboarder below.

“I love you,” she whispered as she sat down next to Korra. Her hand slowly rubbed the woman’s muscled back. Back and forth. Back and forth. No response. She moved her hand down and cupped that nice rounded buttock and gave a strong squeeze.

When Korra yelped and turned on her side, Asami laughed and scooted in next to her. She rested her hand on the woman’s hip and brushed her cheek with her fingers.

Her girlfriend sighed and closed her eyes.

“He’s just being an idiot,” she murmured.

Asami traced her chin and lips. “How so?”

Korra didn’t answer right away so she pinched her hip.

The mocha-skinned woman twitched and frowned.

“Why are you being so mean to me?!” she whined.

The college student laughed and pressed her fingers against Korra’s lips. She kissed her own fingers and brushed noses with her.

“Why are you being so difficult?” she countered.

“I’m not! There’s nothing really to share. He said some things to me this morning that just annoyed me. I said some things back that upset him. Mom came over on her break to try to apologize for him, which, really, was super tacky on his part if he sent her, and now I just don’t want to be here for the time being,” her voice was half yelling by the end and she huffed. Her face also looked a little darker with a hint of red.

Asami pulled her close and rubbed her back. She helped tuck Korra’s head under her chin and shivered as the warm breath tickled her neck.

“Anything I can do to help?”

She felt the younger woman’s head shake.

“We won’t be causing more problems by you staying with me, right?”

“Can’t get any worse...”

The raven haired woman paused and considered the information. Her eyes began to droop due to the heated body in her arms and the comfy mattress beneath.

“I’m not going to be the reason you’re fighting with your dad. I want you two to make up as soon as possible, you hear?”

Korra groaned and twisted against her. She felt those strong arms slip around her waist and tighten.

“Don’t be a baby,” she smiled and kissed the woman’s dark brown hair. “Until then why don’t we head over to my room and you can sleep in my arms for a couple hours?”

This got the snowboarder’s attention. She quickly jumped up and yanked a laughing Asami to her feet. Korra grabbed her bag and jogged out of the room. Asami covertly opened one of the drawers and grabbed some extra tank tops.

 

 

 

Unfortunately for Korra and her father, she and her girlfriend got into some hot and heavy lovemaking after the much needed nap. They even went so far as to order room service with her girlfriend answering the door wrapped in a blanket and a smile.

In spite of the younger woman not having had much experience and therefore, not much technique, she made up for all of her short comings with stamina and an eagerness to try. Asami took great pleasure in showing her. She also found it way more exciting to watch the sweaty, mocha-skinned woman squirming with every orgasm she gave than to experience one herself.

They kept going until sometime after midnight when Asami closed her eyes after quite an intense climax. Sleep took her quickly and easily as her little bundle of muscles wrapped those arms around her.

She awoke with a jolt to the alarm next to the bed. Her girlfriend tightened the grip she had around her and groaned.

Asami giggled and felt no need to move, save for a stretched arm to hit the snooze button. A nose followed by a pair of lips pushed against her naked back. It felt like the perfect way to start the day, even though she didn’t need to be up so early, herself.

“I should just call Umu and tell him I’ll work doubles after the new year if he’ll take my shift today so I can stay with you,” came a groggy and sleepy voice.

A smile graced the college student’s lips. Although she silently agreed, she also knew that Korra had returned to the mountain for a reason.

“If you get up and go now, I’ll make sure to follow soon and spend the rest of the shift with you, hmm?”

Korra sighed, kissed her shoulder, and pulled her arms from around her. Asami bit back the whimper at the loss of warmth. She watched her girlfriend stumble into the bathroom and closed her eyes, dozing while she heard the water running.

Later that day she tried and tried to get the younger woman to go talk to her father. She even dragged her to the gift shop in hopes that her mother might help convince her to make up with patriarch. It proved futile and left the engineering major a little more than annoyed that Korra didn’t seem to want to talk about any of it.

Just after dinner Kya called Korra's cell phone and asked for assistance in helping clear a fallen tree on one of the ski paths. Korra kissed her and took off towards the snowmobile shed, promising she’d be back as soon as possible.

Asami took the opportunity to seek out one of the two possible family members who could help her with her dilemma.

She knocked on the door to the warm, inviting cabin where Korra grew up and smiled when Senna answered. The older version of the snowboarder stretched her arms out and pulled her into a hug. Asami returned the hug and followed her inside.

“Hot cocoa?”

“Oh please!”

Once she pulled her boots off and hung up her jacket, she joined the woman on one of the stools in the small kitchen and watched as she prepared some mugs for the delicious drink.

“This is about Korra and Tonraq,” Senna sighed. “Those two will never admit it, but they are individually more stubborn than a moose. Together, they’re like a mountain. Impossible to move.”

Asami smirked. To hear her girlfriend described in such a manner brought a chuckle in her throat.

“I bet she doesn’t want to talk about it, right?”

The green eyed woman nodded and clasped her hands on the kitchen island counter. “She won’t even tell me what happened other than they fought and she can’t forgive him.”

Senna leaned against the counter next to the stove and shook her head. “I’m not sure to the exact words he used, but I think the gist of it is that he is not happy that his little girl has grown up. He threw a fit when she wanted to move to the city with Bolin earlier this year. Wouldn’t talk to me for two weeks.”

Asami tried to imagine the older man acting like a temper tantrum throwing child. She recalled how Korra reacted to her prodding and wondered if this is where she learned it.

“Don’t get me wrong. He loves her dearly. In his mind he is going to work with her for the rest of his life on this mountain. Do you understand where I’m going with this?”

The college student blinked and exhaled, “I’m afraid I don’t?”

Her girlfriend’s mother smiled. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes gave her an odd sense of wisdom and attractiveness.

“He sees you as a threat to that future,” she inhaled and began to pour the hot water into the mugs. “This is just my opinion, of course, but I think he sees you as someone who will whisk her far away at your own whim and that Korra will follow because that girl,” Senna paused to smile brightly, “That girl has always had a strong sense of adventure about her. So she’ll follow you because she’s fearless and she’s obviously in love.”

The last part caused Asami to blush. She was grateful for the offered mug of cocoa to distract the intense and knowing gaze of the older woman.

Asami took a sip and considered the information with great care.

“As someone who only has her father, I get that family is important,” she shifted and moved to give more space as Senna occupied the stool adjacent to hers. “I would never take Korra away from you or Tonraq or Kya, even. She wouldn’t be happy and so nor would I.”

Senna smiled and rested a hand on top of hers, “Do you love her?”

“I’m in love with her,” Asami rushed the words and took a deep breath to calm her beating heart from the sudden admission. “I mean, I know we’re young and it’s so early in the relationship but I’m positive that’s how I feel.”

The woman next to her squeezed her hand.

Asami’s heart slowed some. She returned a smile before taking another sip of the delicious cocoa.

“Then you needn’t worry yourself over this spat. Tonraq will come to understand and Korra will eventually forgive him. You’ve done nothing wrong, after all. Just let those two burn themselves out. By Christmas they’ll be best buds again, like always. If nothing else, I’ll guilt them into making up,” she winked at the last part. Asami laughed and felt a weight disappear from her shoulders. Having the support of her girlfriend’s mother made her much more confident in those stormy and strong feelings that continued to grow for the snowboarder.

“Thank you for the cocoa,” the college student grinned and lifted the mug.

For a moment the two women sipped and enjoyed the quiet comfort of the small kitchen.

“So,” Senna started, “You wouldn’t happen to know what my daughter got me for Christmas, would you?”

Asami laughed with her full belly.

 

 

Later that night after a long and fun-filled shower with her mocha-skinned lover, the college student lay awake on the bed and stroked her cheek while she watched Korra sleep.

The snowboarder made no mention of having talked with Tonraq, even though the two of them were part of the group that went out to clear the tree from the trail.

She ran a finger over that sharp, yet strong jaw, and admired how in such a short time she grew to love everything about this young woman. She even found the stubborn part of her quite adorable.

And the fact that Korra loved her back.

It seemed impossible to feel so happy.

Asami leaned in and kissed Korra’s lips. The woman stirred and pulled her closer.

So very happy.

 


	16. Chapter 16

“I should have guessed you’ve been having Asami help you,” came an amused voice from the window.

Korra had a mouthful of stew, spoon still in mouth, and gaped wide eyed while her counterpart, the lovely Asami, sat studiously at the counter filling out the rental logs for the morning.

The snowboarder hastily swallowed and hopped up.

“Heya Aunt Kya! Asami was just writing something down while I ate a quick lunch,” she set her bowl down and stepped forward with arms outstretched towards the logbook and the pen in her girlfriend’s hand.

“Go back and eat your lunch,” the older woman rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Asami’s handwriting is far better than yours, leaps and bounds. Just make sure you’re making this up to her when you’re not working.”

Asami giggled and Korra slumped her shoulders while giving a solemn nod.

“What brings you out here this overcast morning?” the college student placed the pen on the counter and folded her hands. A glance back at the snowboarder told her that her girlfriend had this, so she sat back down and resumed eating her mother’s delicious stew.

“Had to stretch my legs and get away from the growing hustle and bustle. Also, your father’s workers are beginning to arrive, if he hasn’t already told you himself. His secretary is keeping me and my front desk busy with getting all the rooms in order and passing out all the keys. There’s a lull right now, what with it being almost lunch time.”

Asami reached into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone. She frowned and sighed, “He hasn’t texted me, but I did expect him either today or tomorrow. Knowing him he either forgot or wants it to be a surprise. My money is on the former.”

“With him coming are you still going to join us for Christmas?”

The dark haired woman nodded fervently, “Oh definitely! Not going to miss that shindig!”

Kya laughed, “Really not much to miss. Just eating, opening gifts, and then watching Korra and Tonraq play with whatever is the most interesting gift.”

“Don’t forget watching Rudolph! We always watch Rudolph!”

“Yes, yes, Korra watches Rudolph while the rest of us indulge her...”

“Hey!” The short haired woman puffed her cheeks and shoved a large spoonful of stew into her mouth. “Donbemeab!”

Kya and Asami stared at her, then turned to each other to giggle.

“You should invite your father,” the gray haired woman turned to look out at the white slopes. “Though having the parents meet, that’s a big step. You two might not be ready for that.”

Korra frowned, blushed, and lifted the bowl to her mouth to scoop the last bits in like she was eating rice with chopsticks, not being a glutton with a big spoon. She’d already confessed her love for the green eyed woman. But did this need to happen so soon? On the other hand, with her father staying for a week, it seemed inevitable that the families would collide.

As she debated this internal argument, Asami announced the decision for her, “I’ll let him know that he’s more than welcome, but he has to make rounds with his employees. Besides, meeting on a holiday might be a tad too much, even for someone who makes a living talking to and selling things to people.”

The snowboarder bit back a sigh of relief. She put her bowl down and wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

“How very adult of you, Asami. Please continue to rub off on my niece. Spirits know that she needs someone to guide her away from being childish and messy!”

“What?! I’m not messy!”

Asami turned around and laughed. She pointed to her mouth and shook her head.

Korra furrowed her brows and wiped at her mouth some more. A big carrot fleck showed up on her fingers. She blushed, grumbled, and tossed it into her mouth to chew and swallow.

“Yes, well. I ought to be returning,” Kya turned and then stopped with a snap of her fingers. “Oh! Nearly forgot. Korra, you don’t have to work Sunday morning. Feel free to dance with your girlfriend all night.” Her aunt gave a wink before walking away.

“Dance?” Korra scooted her stool up next to Asami and gave the engineering major a curious look. “What is she talking about?”

Asami waved her hand and rolled her eyes, “We always do a dance during the holiday get-together. It’s kind of cheesy, but everyone loves it. The main hall is probably rented out for it. DJ, streamers, lights, the whole nine yards. And two of his employees are crowned King and Queen. Or King and King. Or Queen and Queen. They’re just the two who performed best all year.”

“Sounds hokey,” Korra rested an elbow on the counter and her head in her hand. “Got a date?”

A pair of cat-like green eyes regarded her with slight shock followed quickly by amusement. “Who, me? I’d planned on going stag, but there is this sexy individual I was hoping would ask me out.”

“Just sexy?”

Her girlfriend raised an eyebrow causing a thrill of excitement in Korra. She’d seen that look a lot in the last several days.

“Beautiful, bendy, big breasted,” Asami leaned forward and nuzzled the spot under Korra’s ear. Her voice dropped to a husky whisper, “bodacious, bundle of muscles!”

The engineering major pulled back hollering with laughter.

Korra huffed again. She felt like finding some piggies and blowing down their houses!

 

 

“Did you get ahold of your dad?”

Korra walked hand in hand with Asami up the trail to her aunt’s large cabin. The two parted after a few hours of trying to teach the college student how to snowboard (it didn’t go too terribly) and met back up outside the lodge. She carried a bag with her wrapped gifts inside over her shoulder and helped her girlfriend carry the ones she brought.

“He said he’ll be here tomorrow morning. Probably won’t be spending your shift with you.”

The snow crunched beneath their booted feet and light flakes fell from above. Though they could see their breath, the air didn’t feel excessively cold, and even in her trademark hoody, Korra found herself more or less enjoying the mountain night.

She looked over at the woman next to her. In the low light her skin seemed to have a glow to it, like the snow beneath their feet. She loved how it contrasted her hair.

“See something you like?”

“Very much.”

At the foot of the stairs leading up to a wide porch, Asami pulled on her arm and gave her a soft, but loving kiss. Korra leaned back feeling a bit dazed.

“Come on. I can’t wait for you to unwrap your gift!”

Korra took a breath and followed her up the steps.

“You already gave me the tablet. I hope you didn’t spend too much. And you know you didn’t have to get anything for my parents or,” she glanced down at the wrapped box in her arm, “Aunt Kya.”

“And miss a chance to impress your family? As if!” Asami laughed and waited for Korra to open the door.

Inside the air felt warm, but not stuffy. A thick aroma of sweet goodies, turkey, and other foods surrounded them.

“Is that you Korra, Asami?”

“Yeaaah,” Korra yelled as she set down her bag and the gifts on the floor. She helped her girlfriend with the rest of the gifts before pulling off her boots. Asami followed suit and the two carried everything down the hall.

They entered the living room, a large space with high ceilings, and smiled at her mother and Aunt Kya who were finishing some last minute touches on the tree.

“So many gifts!” her mother put down her tinsel and helped Asami place them under the obviously fake pine tree. The tips of the tree glowed different colors from fiber optics at the base. “Happy Christmas!”

Korra’s mother kissed her cheeks and then her girlfriend’s cheeks.

“Your father is getting some wood for the fire, go help him. Let me get you some hot cocoa, Asami!”

The snowboarder did her best to not roll her eyes. She saw her aunt give her a pitying gaze as she headed towards the back of the cabin. At the glass sliding door she saw her father piling wood onto a makeshift carrier. He looked up at her and then turned to get some more blocks.

She sighed and waited at the door for him to bring her the chopped pieces.

“Mom isn’t going to like it if we don’t at least try to pretend we’re not mad at each other,” she said as he dropped off the pieces of wood in her outstretched arms.

He seemed to bristle, “I’m not mad at you.”

“Coulda fooled me.”

His eyes dropped and she thought, for a moment, that he looked quite sad. Instead of explaining further he went out for more wood. When he returned he didn’t pile them in her arms, but instead walked in and nudged the door closed behind him.

She looked up at him and blocked his way into the house.

“Dad...”

“It’s my problem, okay?”

The snowboarder bit her lip. She chewed it for a moment and said, “Then why did you say those things about her?”

“Because I was mad. You know how it is when you’re mad. When we’re mad. We say stupid things,” he sighed and pressed his lips at her. “I’m sorry.”

Korra sighed as well. She shifted the wood in her arms and looked back behind her as if expecting to see her mother. When she didn’t she turned and said, “Well stop being stupid. And I’ll try to stop being stupid. And you know, regardless of how things end up with me and Asami, I’m still always going to be your daughter, okay?”

He smiled at her and nudged her arm with his.

“Okay.”

“Let’s go put this wood by the fire. I’m hungry.”

When they returned to the living room Asami and her mother sat on the couch with steaming mugs in their hands. The older woman gave them both a knowing look while her girlfriend simply smiled.

“You two best friends again?”

Korra placed the wood in a neat stack by the burning fire. She looked up at her aunt and rolled her eyes.

“What? Tonraq and I used to fight all the time. We were always at each others throats. Then after a couple days we’d make up and be good... at least for a few hours,” she walked over to her dad and placed an arm around his shoulder. “Thankfully we grew out of that and we can finally get along like proper siblings.”

The sibling in question simply grunted.

“Why don’t we eat? I’ve got a wonderful turkey all ready for someone to slice it up,” Korra’s mother interjected quickly. They all saw Kya readying to prod her father’s injured shoulder as retaliation for him grunting at her.

Everyone settled down around mahogany crafted rectangle table. It had a red and green designed cloth on it as well as enough food to feed twice as many people that were currently sitting.

Korra grinned through almost the entire meal. Being here with people she loved so much just made her skin buzz. Only one person would make this night the best: Bolin. She shook her head. He promised he’d be up there by New Years. Then him and Asami would drive back down to the city together.

Once they finished eating and listening to more embarrassing stories about Korra’s childhood everyone wandered back into the living room.

Her parents took up spots on the couch next to each other, Kya sat in the arm chair and turned the TV on to the Rudolph DVD, and Asami sat on the rug next to her. When she was a child it was her father who would pass out the gifts, but when she got old enough she took it over. No one asked her to do so. She just liked watching everyone’s face as she handed them their gift.

“Mom is first!”

Korra grabbed a gift from herself and tossed it over. Her dad intercepted and gave her a stern look.

“What? I know it won’t break,” she mumbled as she crawled onto her hands and knees to line up the gifts. She grabbed a gift for her aunt, her father, then Asami, and placed hers next to the college student to open up after everyone else.

The sounds of Rudolph's trials and tribulations played in the background as wrapping paper filled the middle of the floor. Between gifts her dad added more wood to the fire and stoked it. Her mother gushed at the bracelets that Korra found for her in the city.

Everyone marveled at the flying helicopter that Asami got for her dad. Even though he did manage to crash it a few times.

Korra smiled at her parents as they shared their own gifts. Her aunt kept bringing out cookies, chocolates, and other small treats to keep stuffing into everyone.

She grabbed the last two gifts, one for herself from Asami and one for Asami from herself. The college student smiled and scooted around to face her. That sat, cross-legged, in front of each other.

“You first,” Korra stated.

“Nu uh. You,” Asami bit her lip and leaned forward.

The snowboarder pursed her lips. She caved and tore open the paper. Inside was a plastic box filled with shiny metal tools. Korra furrowed her brows and raised her eyes.

Her girlfriend scooted close and grabbed the box, “These are the tools for fixing your snowboard and boots. I’m going to give you lessons, most likely via online video, and make it so that you can do this stuff without anyone’s help.”

Korra looked back down at the tools in Asami’s hands. The dark haired woman opened the box and lifted one out, “This one right here is for readjusting the angles on the bindings. It loosens and tightens. And this one right here is for replacing the straps when they get worn.” Her girlfriend talked fast, obviously excited, “I’ve been researching in my spare time. There isn’t much that goes into it, but each snowboarder is different so it’s important to get the adjustments just right, and...”

At the pause the snowboarder looked up to see the other woman’s face dropping.

“You hate it, don’t you?”

“What?!” Korra shook her head and grasped Asami’s hands inside her own, “No! I don’t! I love it.” She pulled her forward and pressed a fevered kiss to her lips. “This is amazing!”

Asami pressed her lips together. Her green eyes showed skepticism.

“Honestly, I was just, really very surprised. And I’m really shocked that you put so much time into learning this stuff. You should have opened your gift first,” the mocha-skinned woman sighed.

When Asami pressed her lips to hers and kissed, she smiled.

“What do you have there?”

Her father’s voice cut through the moment and Korra immediately pulled away. Given how hot her face felt, she knew she was blushing quite intensely.

“Um, Asami gave me a tool set to fix and adjust my snowboard with,” she took the box from the other woman and held it up for him to see. He leaned off the couch. Korra's mother was no longer at his side. She probably went to the kitchen to nibble at the food with Aunt Kya.

He smiled and laughed. “Good luck teaching her, Asami. She’s better with her body than she is with her hands,” he laughed even more.

Korra pouted her lip out.

Her father calmed down quickly and wiped a tear from his eye. “That is a very nice gift, though. You did good.”

She quickly looked back to her girlfriend who was also now blushing. Korra knew she had a smile on her face bigger than the entire mountain but she didn’t care. Her father just complimented her girlfriend. She couldn’t have asked for a better gift.

“Thanks,” Asami said. The college student looked down in her own lap and began tearing at the gift.

Words to stop her girlfriend fell dead on her lips. Korra knew they’d be useless. She shifted and bit the inside of her cheek.

“I’m thirsty,” her father announced loudly. He made a show of standing up and walking towards the kitchen.

Asami pulled the paper off and placed it next to her. She smiled at the gift in her hands.

“My... my mom always calls me her little pup. Always running around, playing, and getting into things, ‘like a wolf pup’ she’d say. And since we won’t be together much after the holidays, I figured this would be something you could hug before you go to sleep. Or just toss it on the couch, or whatev-”

Asami cut her off with a heated kiss. She emitted a surprised noise and welcomed the fevered movement of the woman’s lips. When she finally pulled away Korra followed still nipping and wanting more to taste.

Instead of soft skin and tongue, she felt something fuzzy press against her lips.

“I’m going to name her Little Korra,” Asami announced. She held the stuffed gray wolf toy up in front of her and wiggled it. “Little Korra, meet your other mommy.”

The snowboarder smirked and then tackled her girlfriend to the ground. She tickled her mercilessly while also kissing her cheeks and neck. Both women rolled around until Asami ended up on top. The woman straddled Korra and placed the wolf on her chest.

“We win!”

Korra laughed and squirmed as her girlfriend lightly jabbed her in the sides.

“Looks like you two are having fun,” came her mother’s giggling voice. “It’s getting late and you need to wake up early, Korra. Say thanks to your dad and aunt and help Asami carry everything back to her room, okay?”

She looked up and back at her mother who appeared upside down in her vision. “Yes, mom.”

The older woman smiled and turned back into the kitchen.

Asami moved off of her and grabbed the wolf. However, she didn’t help up the original Korra. That move did not go unnoticed by the younger woman who made a mental note to pay her back later.

“So did you have a good Christmas?”

“I am having a wonderful Christmas,” her girlfriend kissed her cheek and helped her gather the gifts. She paused to tug at Korra’s hoody until she pulled it off her body. Then she placed her mother's hand knit sweater on her. “There. Blue looks good on you.”

By the time the two left the cabin Korra knew she wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight.

 

 

They both felt giddy and sleepy—a combination of so much food and so many wonderful feelings. With the exception of the wolf and the tool box, the rest of the gifts were tossed in a pile on the chair.

Korra no more than turned around when she felt those same hands that put the sweater on her peeling it off, along with her tank top. Asami’s cool hands were nice on her warm skin. She sighed and cupped the woman’s cheeks to press her lips against hers. No sooner did they lock lips than she felt a tongue pushing into her mouth.

Asami wasted no time between peeling off her clothes and many of her own. Each time the snowboarder tried to help she would bat her hands away with a laugh.

The college student pushed her on the bed and straddled her again.

Her nostrils flared as she panted for oxygen. The sight of the half naked, flushed woman above her drove her mind completely blank and void of any thought.

Which is probably why it took her so long to register a knock at the door.

And the only reason she noticed was because Asami groaned in annoyance and stood up off of her. She padded to the door, still half naked, and peeked through the hole.

“Ack! It’s my dad!”

This got Korra’s attention.

She jumped up and began looking for her clothes. Asami flipped on the lights and put on Korra’s sweater. She still wore her jeans, which she was in the process of re-buttoning and shimmying back up on her hips.

Korra barely got her tank back on by the time her girlfriend whipped open the door.

“Hey dad!”

The dark haired woman stepped into a big hug of a man a few inches taller than her. He had gray hair and a mustache and was smiling bright. He didn’t look too much like his daughter. Different eye color and shape. Yet, somehow they gave the appearance of father and daughter.

“Did I surprise you?!” The man laughed and patted her shoulders. “Finished sooner than I thought and drove straight up here. Haven’t even brought anything up from the car, yet!”

“Quite a surprise,” Asami managed to keep her voice level. “I’m just glad you made it here safe. Driving so late at night in the mountains, snowing, and all...”

Her girlfriend’s father looked up and past her. He raised both of his eyebrows and appraised Korra. Or at least, that’s how she felt when he stared at her.

She shifted and tried not to look like she’d been about to have wild sex with his daughter. “H-hi. Um, I’m Korra,” her voice squeaked nervously.

“Yeah! That’s Korra. My girlfriend. Remember me telling you about her?”

He smiled and looked back down at the college student. “Seems I’ve interrupted. You were probably about to go to sleep,” the older man gave a smile and a nod. “We’ll talk more tomorrow I’m sure. But for now I’m going to go to my own bed and get some much needed rest. It was nice meeting you, Korra.”

The snowboarder smiled and nodded.

When he hugged and left the doorway, Asami closed the door and leaned against it.

“Awkward.”

Korra agreed.

 


	17. Chapter 17

It wasn’t until the day of the company dance that Asami spent time with Korra outside of the bedroom again. With her girlfriend being busy around the resort and her spending time with her father (who suddenly had an interest in learning to ski) they hadn’t any time to see one another. She really wanted to sit down with her girlfriend and her dad, but she didn’t want to do it in the hotel room where nightly lovemaking sessions occurred.

Thankfully Kya gave Korra the day off so the two could relax and get cleaned up for the holiday gathering. They used the opportunity to eat lunch with her father, fully dressed, and not with sex on the brain.

“You say your great grandfather built this place? It’s held together very well all these years,” mused Asami’s father. They sat at a table in a small restaurant/bar inside the main lodge. Korra picked at her beef stroganoff and tried her best to not fidget. Asami could see she looked quite nervous. When the moment presented itself she reached underneath the table to take her girlfriend’s hand and lace their fingers together.

“Yeah! My grandfather expanded it with more lodging and longer slopes and now my Aunt Kya runs it,” the dark skinned woman put her fork down and reached for her glass of milk, “Dad says me and him are going to run it someday, together.”

She smiled and took a sip.

Asami could feel her father’s eyes on her after the last remark. She looked down at her half eaten salmon but made no move to resume eating since her girlfriend’s hand remained tightly in hers.

“I will say that I’m partial to family-run businesses, myself, so I admire that your family has kept with it for so long,” the older Sato smiled and wiggled his mustache. He tore at his roasted chicken with his knife and fork.

With the brief pause Asami cleared her throat and stated, “But Korra isn’t planning on taking it over anytime soon. She’s still going to pursue snowboarding. You should see her! She’s very talented. Remember the half-pipe with all the people on, oh, what did you call them? Wide ski?,” she giggled and continued, “Korra puts them all to shame. She can do these flips and twists and make it all look so effortless.”

As she gushed about the younger woman she watched her turn darker and darker from the blushing. The hand inside hers began to sweat a little. Asami squeezed and smiled encouragingly.

“Do you have a sponsor?”

Korra swallowed and shook her head. She wiped the milk away from her upper lip with the back of her hand. The move appeared so adorable to Asami that she had to restrain herself from kissing her girlfriend.

“My Aunt Kya used to sponsor me, but because of um, various reasons, right now I’m just in training. Next year I’ll get someone, I’m sure of it!”

The college student beamed at her girlfriend’s assured enthusiasm. Not that she needed her father’s approval, but she felt certain that this could only play in her favor.

Hiroshi Sato grinned. He dabbed at his mouth with a napkin from his lap and said, “I don’t see why my company couldn’t sponsor you. If you’re as good as Asami says you are, perhaps I’ll have to venture into this winter sports market.”

“Wow, really?”

He smiled and nodded.

Korra shook her head and blinked her eyes, “I... I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes!” Asami lifted her hand and pulled it against her leg.

“Okay! Yes! That sounds amazing, sir!”

Asami’s father clapped his hands together. “Then it’s settled! After the new year we’ll draw up papers and you’ll be part of the Sato Airline’s team!”

The engineering major wanted nothing more than to go and hug her father, but the grip that her girlfriend had on her hand held her in place. Instead she leaned over and pressed her lips to the snowboarder’s cheek. She stared into those bright blue eyes which twinkled as they gazed back into hers. Her heart swelled. She knew she could stare into those eyes forever.

The older Sato cleared his throat and pulled Asami from her reverie. She shook her head and blushed. Both of the women let go and resumed their meal.

“So Korra, tell me, have you ever flown in one of my planes and how amazing was it?”

 

 

That evening Korra escorted Asami into the converted main lodge room. All kinds of green and red streamers, gold glittery decorations, reindeer, Santa, snowman, and so many other holiday themed decor covered the space. In the corner a DJ played some old but catchy Christmas tunes on low while most people mingled and opened Secret Santa gifts with one another.

Asami kept her arm linked inside her girlfriend’s as she looked around for her father. The man would be wearing a Santa outfit and passing out gifts from a bag. She hadn’t spotted him yet and turned her eyes towards the woman next to her.

Her snowboarding girlfriend no longer donned her hoody and jeans. Instead she sported a long sleeved blue buttoned dress shirt and a pair of black slacks that draped over her shapely legs in the most refined manner. She let go of her girlfriend’s arm and faced her.

“Just let me,” the college student bit her lower lip while she undid the top three buttons of the shirt. “There. That’s much better.”

Korra looked down and immediately brought her hands up to the buttons. Asami bat them away.

“That’s too many! You can see my bra!”

“That’s why it’s better,” she winked at the shorter woman. Asami talked her into wearing the black lacy bra she bought for her as a ‘behind closed doors’ gift. It looked quite nice against her chocolate skin. “And if you’re worried about what my dad will think, don’t be. He’ll be too busy playing ‘Santa’ to even notice.”

The more her girlfriend tried to fix it, the more she bat her hands until the snowboarder gave up entirely. She watched her girlfriend puff her cheeks and frown. Asami kissed that frown away and ran her fingers through Korra’s nearly shoulder-length hair.

After the kiss her girlfriend mumbled, “Is that why you’re dressed so provocatively?” Her eyebrow raised and she looked up and down with those electric blue eyes. The gaze reminded her of the night they first met. It sent a shiver down her spine.

She had dressed to the nine. A floor length black gown with silver trimmings and an open slit down the side. It showed more of her cleavage than she would have liked for her father’s work crowd, but the fact that her girlfriend nearly pushed her onto the bed after seeing her made it all worth it.

“Let’s go mingle and then dance, kay?”

Korra followed like an eager puppy.

The two chatted a bit, snacked on the various foods, watched her father bound around like a large child in a grown man’s body passing out gifts to the employees, and danced until Asami had to stop to get out of her heels which were killing her feet. Korra massaged her feet as they sat in the corner of the main lodge room and watched the party become more and more vibrant as the alcohol took effect.

For most, the night was still young, but with Korra’s schedule (and to the same extent, Asami’s) the two decided to call it a night and return to the hotel room--not that either had any intention of sleeping.

At the door Korra helped put Asami’s coat on first and then pulled the leather jacket she borrowed from her dad on. Though it was obviously too big for the snowboarder, Asami found she really liked the look on the shorter woman. She made a mental note to go shopping for one with her sometime after the new year.

No sooner did the two exit the lodge than Korra was suddenly attacked by a large man.

A large, muscled man, who tackled the dark skinned woman into a snowbank and rolled around with her.

Asami gaped and hugged her coat around her. She then shook her head as she heard the man yelling.

“KORRA! KORRA! MY DEAR KORRA! I MISSED YOU THIS MUCH!”

Her girlfriend yelled back, though with not nearly as much amusement, “GET THE HELL OFF OF ME BOLIN! ARE YOU INSANE!?”

The engineering major covered her mouth to stifle a giggle as the two wrestled in the snow until finally Bolin let go and allowed her to stand. He joined her without bothering to brush the snow off himself.

A tense moment then occurred where Korra glared at him while he merely smiled in return. Asami looked back and forth between the two. She didn’t know if she should say something or merely saunter away.

Then suddenly Korra grinned and wrapped her arms around her best friend. He hugged back and the two smacked each others backs.

“You dork! When did you get in?”

“Just now! Dad came and picked me up from the stop and I saw you two leaving and told him I’d be home after I took care of some unfinished business,” he let go of the snowboarder and turned to nod at Asami, “Hey there Asami! I’d hug you, too, but Korra is totally the jealous type who would never forgive me.”

Korra smacked his arm and rolled her eyes.

Asami grinned and held her arms out for him. He hesitated and then hugged her.

“Happy Christmas,” she said as they parted. “Speaking of which, did you and Mako have a good one?”

“That idiot wouldn’t know how to have a good time if someone hogtied him and threw him into the good time river. I tried to celebrate with him but he said that he wouldn’t waste a night that he could spend studying, instead,” the dark haired man sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “At least the chief let us have a party. She even catered it for us. Oh man, Korra, we got to eat so much steamed buns and egg rolls.”

Korra pouted. She was brushing the snow from her jacket and stopped to punch the air. “You got food from ‘Mountain Air’! I thought the chief hated that place!”

“She does! But she asked us where we’d like food and that’s what the consensus was. It was pretty awesome.”

Her girlfriend continued to pout and mumble stuff about craving dumplings. Asami rubbed her hands together. The night air felt much colder when she wasn’t wearing jeans and sweaters.

“So what’s going on in there? Having some kind of Christmas prom or something?” Bolin looked behind them and into the window of the lodge.

Korra shrugged out of her jacket and said, “Asami’s dad’s company having a party. We were just leaving, though. We’ve been here since almost five.”

“Is there food in there?”

Asami smiled, “Go in and help yourself, Bolin. I know my dad won’t mind.” She was about to step back and open the door when she felt the heavy leather jacket slide onto her shoulders. Korra ignored her protest, so she slipped her arms through the sleeves and bundled up inside the warmth. It smelled a little like the younger woman, which she enjoyed.

“Don’t mind if I do!” the body builder stepped forward and swung the door open. He paused and looked back towards the two women. “You’re coming? Right? I can’t go in by myself!”

The happiness in her girlfriend’s eyes at seeing her best friend for the first time in over a month told her they wouldn’t be making it back to the hotel room anytime soon. She followed the two back into the building but kept the jacket on as they all made their way over to the tables of food.

“So Mako didn’t want to come to the mountain?”

Bolin shook his head and grabbed the largest plate he could get his beefy hands on, “He went back to visit mom. Wanted me to go with him, but I’ve never been apart from dad during the holidays. Besides, I’ve been out there to visit mom and him before. He hasn’t seen dad since the divorce, which I think is kind of petty. But that’s Mako. Petty and boring.”

“What does he have against your dad? I know you said your parents weren’t always on the best terms, but your dad is great! He’s so funny and nice!” Korra followed behind her best friend also picking up food and putting it on a smaller plate. Asami smiled and waited at the end of the table for the two to finish.

While they conversed her eyes wandered the crowd. She easily found her father. The man, covered in red velvet, couldn’t have been missed. He no longer had his bag of gifts and stood with a brandy in one hand next to the large roaring fire. Several of his workers stood around. All of them were chatting, probably about the upcoming year for the business, and having their fill of drinks.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone very tall come into view. She studied for several moments until she remembered where she’d seen that ponytail before.

Amon.

The man who she’d seen around her father twice now was here at the party. She briefly wondered if her father had hired him recently and why he wouldn’t at least say something if he had.

While pondering this she watched as the taller man went up to her father and leaned down to say something in his ear. Her father became instantly flustered and glared at Mr. Amon as if he’d just offended him. Then, without so much as a goodbye, he hastily moved from the group of workers and slammed his half drunk brandy on top of the fireplace.

She watched with great interest as her father followed Mr. Amon through the party and then a door in the back. Asami bit her lower lip and took a step towards the door.

Curiosity burned at her heels and blood pounded in her eardrums. Though she could not explain why, she felt worried about this sudden turn of events. One foot, then the other, and another.

A hand covered hers and she turned her head to find her girlfriend with furrowed brows and an upturned lip.

“Everything okay?”

Asami bit the inside of her cheek and looked back towards the door. No one seemed to pay any mind that her father had stomped off with the mysterious man. She swallowed, licked her lips, and shook her head.

“Y-yeah. Yeah. Everything is fine. Got a place to sit so you two can chow down?”

Korra stared at her. The younger woman didn’t believe her words and obviously wanted to call her out on it. Behind her, Bolin inquired about drinks and if there were any cute girls at this ‘shindig’. His presence distracted the snowboarder. Asami sighed relief.

“Over here Bolin,” she said as she let go of the college student’s hand, “And cute girls are here, if you don’t mind that most of them are well into their thirties.” She laughed when he whined.

Asami glanced one more time at the door.

She didn’t like that twist in her stomach one bit.

 

 

The next morning Asami knocked on her father’s hotel room door. She held two Styrofoam containers in her hand and took a deep breath. Korra left early for her shift. Bolin said that he’d keep Asami company until Korra finished, but the weight lifter apparently hadn’t awoke, yet.

She heard some shuffling inside the room and when the door opened, her father greeted her while still buttoning his shirt.

“Morning! It sure looks cold out there, huh?”

Overnight the temperatures dropped into the teens and the wind picked up. Korra didn’t seem concerned so Asami wasn’t, either.

“Sure is! I definitely recommend a scarf and gloves,” she smiled as she walked into the room. He had clothes strewn about and a mound of paperwork sitting on the desk. “I got us waffles, if you’re hungry.”

He took one of the containers from her, “I am starving. I forgot to eat last night with all the festivities going on. I could eat a moose!” He sat at the chair in front of the desk and held the container open in his lap. She gave him a plastic fork and sat down on the edge of his bed.

She watched him dig into the food while leaving her own untouched.

“So I saw Mr. Amon last night,” she said as she ran her finger over the edges of the container. “Everything okay?”

Her father stiffened but continued eating. “Sure,” he said between bites, “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because you looked a little stressed,” she carefully replied.

The gray haired man put his fork down and wiped at his mouth with the napkins that were on top of the container. He inhaled and exhaled and brushed his mustache with his thumb.

“It’s nothing you need to worry about. We’re just having a squabble over raw materials,” he looked out the window as he talked, “Not a life or death situation, but for some reason he thinks that I’ll change my stance just because he shows up at my company’s holiday party. That man...”

She watched him look back at her, smile, and resume eating. A part of her wanted to press the issue. His explanation didn’t feel totally genuine.

At the same time, even if it was something business related, she might not completely understand it even if he did take the time to explain every little detail.

The college student mulled over this so much she didn’t notice that her father already finished his breakfast.

“Not hungry?”

She blinked and looked up at him as if awakening from a nap. “Ah, um, I’m meeting Korra and we’re going to share,” she lied, but she didn’t know what else to say. “Speaking of which, I should get going.”

She rose from the bed and turned towards the door. Then she turned back and added, “Good luck with all that business stuff. I hope you can get it sorted out with Mr. Amon.”

Her father smiled and winked back at her, “You know I will. And for the best price!”

He laughed but she didn’t join him.

Out in the hall she dumped her food into a trash receptacle and headed to her room. She needed time to think about what, if anything her father was hiding from her.

 


	18. Chapter 18

The next week flew by for Korra. She wanted to savor every moment with her girlfriend, but with Bolin around and the constant rush of people on and off the mountain, the only times she could really savor were those early mornings before her alarm went off. Asami would either be holding her, or she holding Asami, and she would snuggle, sniff, and press kisses to the other woman while enjoying the quiet.

Her girlfriend’s father and company left only two days after the Christmas party. Something didn’t feel right with the way her girlfriend sent her dad off and when she asked about it, the college student brushed it off saying it was nothing. Korra remained silent. She wanted her girlfriend to talk to her naturally without her pestering.

On New Years Eve they partied and danced in the main lodge until Korra realized she only had an hour before she had to be at the rental. Asami joined her later while she was in the middle of a small nap.

This was their last full day together before Asami and Bolin headed back to the city. Korra shared some lunch and when the next shift came in, she found herself being led by the older woman back towards her family’s cabin.

“I have a surprise for you,” Asami drawled while she linked her fingers with the snowboarder’s.

“Would it be that you’ve decided to commute from here to school everyday?”

Her girlfriend laughed and stopped to kiss her nose.

“You know that if I could, I would. Now come on!”

The home had an eerie quiet to it as they entered. Korra had only come back twice since Asami came to visit and that was just to get some fresh clothes.

“Hello? Anyone home!?”

Korra peered around after she kicked off her boots. “Shouldn’t be,” she said glancing at the clock. “Mom works till five. Dad is mostly healed now, so he’ll be out till at least seven or eight.”

“Good,” Asami smiled and pulled her through the tight halls.

She quirked an eyebrow at her mischievous andwavy haired girlfriend. “Why is this a good thing?”

When the other woman didn’t answer, she opened her mouth to speak again, but found herself cut off as, when they entered her bedroom, she was pushed onto the small bed.

“This is your surprise,” Asami winked and closed the door behind them.

It took Korra a few moments to realize, but when she did, she eagerly mimicked the other woman in undressing.

“I just want to leave your bed with a nice memory. So when you’re all alone at night, you can think about this,” the green eyed woman sauntered towards her as she peeled off layer after layer of clothing.

The snowboarder grinned, “Oh I see how it is. You want me to get as little sleep as possible. Such a wonderful woman.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

Korra complied.

Nearly two hours and a shower later, they emerged from the house each with the happiest of smiles and an afterglow that even someone as dimwitted as Bolin couldn’t ignore.

The muscled man’s teasing couldn’t bring her down, however.

After an evening of skiing and snowboarding, all three ended up at Aunt Kya’s for a large meal. Aside from her parents, Bolin’s dad also joined them. The man, who shared Bolin’s thick eyebrows and bulbous noise, also shared his son’s infectious sense of humor and loud, boisterous nature.

For a going away meal, this one left Korra not only stuffed with food, but sore with laughter and happiness. It reminded her of her younger days on the mountain, but with one special addition: Asami.

The older woman fit well in her family. Always quick with a retort and able to keep up with all the talks about ski lifts, snowmobiles, and other mechanic related stuff.

She couldn’t keep the proud smile off her face. It almost made her forget that just days ago her father and the fit he had about having Asami in her life. That night, both exhausted from the days' events, the two practically passed out in each others arms. Thankfully her aunt had given her the day off so she could say goodbye to her girlfriend and her best friend.

The next morning, after sleeping in until ten, they ate a greasy breakfast of bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Afterwards she helped Asami and Bolin load the car.

“Be careful,” she said as she noted the slowly falling snow. “When it’s fresh like this the winding mountain roads can be slippery in odd spots.”

“I’ll keep an eye out,” Asami smiled as she readjusted her’s and Bolin’s bags in the trunk.

“If you’re feeling at all tired, just let me drive,” Bolin said while running his hand over the hood. “Man, this thing is sweet. Bet it drives like a dream.”

Her girlfriend smirked, “It drives like a dream because I made all the proper adjustments to it myself. Those things come off an assembly line with improperly tightened bolts and shaky parts. Takes time and a steady hand to get it all just right.”

“Hence the reason you will never be driving it,” Korra added with a laugh.

The dark haired man stuck his tongue out at her and she rolled her eyes.

“Well, she’s not wrong,” Asami said before closing the trunk. “I put a lot of time into this little baby. I’d be devastated if she were to get wrecked in an accident.”

Korra frowned and stepped up to wrap her arms around her girlfriend, “I’d be more devastated if you got wrecked in an accident. The car I could care less about.”

The college student smiled and kissed her forehead. She knew the kiss left a red lipstick print, but she didn’t mind. To the side Bolin just shook his head and walked away to give them privacy.

“It’s too soon,” Korra sighed as she kept her arms around Asami’s waist. “I know you need to go back and finish the semester, but I can’t help feeling a little selfish about keeping you here longer.”

She felt the lips press against her cheek and then up against her ear. With a turn of her head she rubbed cheeks with her girlfriend and inhaled the lovely scent she’d grown so fond of over the past couple weeks.

“You’re not the only selfish person. I’ve honestly had thoughts of working on the mountain this semester and fixing all that old machinery just so I could keep on seeing you,” the murmured words caused her heart to beat faster. “But it won’t be that long, Korra. We’ll see each other on video chat—I still need to teach you how to fix your snowboard—and you’re coming to visit over my spring break. Then before you know it I’m all graduated and not having to take classes anymore.”

The dark skinned woman frowned. She didn’t want to ask what the taller woman would be doing after that. So far into the future with so many possibilities made it too bothersome for her to worry on such things.

“Korra,” Asami kissed under her earlobe. “It’ll go by quick. Okay?”

She took a deep breath and nodded. Then she buried her face against her girlfriend’s collarbone and inhaled. Even after all that time away from fixing engines and other machinery. she still had a faint oily scent. It calmed her and excited her all in one breath.

Nearby a cough pulled her from her reverie and she slowly pulled away from the taller woman.

Asami ran a hand through her hair and smiled fondly.

“It’s getting so long.”

Korra just tilted her head and shrugged. She couldn’t say anything just yet. A part of her felt afraid that she’d break down crying.

“Okay, here’s how this is going to happen,” Asami cleared her throat and brushed her fingers down her jaw, “I’m going to tell you I love you. You’re going to tell me you love me. We’re going to kiss. I’m going to get in the car with Bolin. And you’re going to wave until you can’t see my vehicle anymore. Got it?”

The snowboarder’s mouth flattened and she tried her best to suppress a smile. This woman, she thought, this woman would be with her forever, and that, that was just the best.

“Okay.”

“Okay!”

Asami rubbed noses with her.

“I love you, Korra.”

“I love you, Asami.”

The kiss that followed did not resemble any of their other kisses. It had a mixture of what seemed like longing and wanton that she hadn’t experienced before. When they parted she watched Asami practically force herself to pull away and open the car door.

Korra sighed and trudged to the snow covered sidewalk. Bolin hugged her and hopped into the car. The two waved as Asami backed out of the spot.

All too soon she lost sight of the black charger.

She swallowed and closed her eyes to compose herself. Tears threatened the corners of her eyes. All those stupid love stories that she always made fun of now seemed far more reasonable. With a shuddered sigh she opened her eyes and turned to go crawl into her bed for the rest of the day.

As she pivoted she caught sight of her mother standing a little farther down the sidewalk.

The older woman tilted her head at her and smiled.

Korra felt like a kid again and walked right up to her and hugged her tight. There was no stopping the tears now. Her mom held her tight as she sobbed. The woman rubbed her back soothingly.

All her emotions overrode any rational part of her brain.

Even if Bolin pounded her head against the pavement while saying she’d see Asami soon again, she still couldn’t stop the pain from being parted.

 

 

The mountain and her practice kept her busy over the following month. For the first two weeks, after her workouts and dozens of runs down the half-pipe, she’d eat quickly and hop online with Asami. They divided their time between chatting about nothing in particular, just enjoying the presence of one another while reading or, in Asami's case, doing homework, and Asami talking her through how to do adjustments to her snowboard.

Korra, according to her girlfriend, learned quick. It’s not that she struggled with basic mechanics, but that those around her just usually did everything for her. Being the only child with an Aunt who had no children made for one spoiled brat.

Her days went quick.

Her nights, however, dragged on.

She missed the woman’s body, her smell, her taste, and waking up with her arms wrapped around that slim waist. She even missed the occasional mouth full of hair from that jet black wild mane going everywhere as the two slept.

The first week she hardly slept. It made her feel a little better (and at the same time, worse) that her girlfriend appeared to be having the same withdrawals.

Still, every evening Asami would bring the stuffed wolf up to kiss the camera on her laptop, and promise that she’d get to bed with Korra’s nagging. She had Bolin checking in on her from time to time to make sure she ate well and got out. It worried her. With the woman’s classes and frequent visits to her father’s business, she felt pretty certain that her girlfriend was barely getting by.

“Is everything okay with you and your dad?”

Korra sat cross legged on the bed with her snowboard across her knees. She practiced readjusting the straps and replacing them in case in the middle of a competition she needed to do an emergency repair.

“Sure,” Asami replied while looking off screen at a book for one of her classes. “Bolin, myself, and Ahnah ate out the other day. Tenzin and Pema say hi.”

The snowboarder frowned and set her tools down in front of her. “Hey,” she said quietly, “Don’t change the subject. Every time I’ve tried to ask you about your dad you talk about something else.”

Her girlfriend frowned, seemingly at the book to her left, and shifted on her own bed.

Neither woman talked for the next thirty seconds.

Korra sighed and prepared for another night of avoiding the subject. She opened her mouth to talk about her upcoming training session with a pro snowboarder, but quickly stopped when she heard Asami’s voice.

“Things are just... the business is...” the college student hesitated and rubbed the bridge between her eyes. “It’s just in a slump. That’s all. I’m trying my best to keep dad’s spirits up. He sends his regards, by the way.”

She watched as her girlfriend forced a smile and winked.

Korra slumped her shoulders and stared down at her snowboard. With the way the workers were celebrating at Christmas, it surprised her to hear about a slump in the business. Still, she didn’t know much about selling airplanes and fixing them, so she was well out of her league with helpful things to suggest.

“I like your hair tonight,” she said, offering a different avenue for the other woman. “It’s looking very beautiful.”

Asami laughed, which brightened Korra’s spirits, and shook her head. “Quit with the fake compliments. This is my ‘I just had a four hour nap’ hair. It’s so messy!”

“I love it when it looks like you’ve been rolling around in bed,” she licked her lips and rested an elbow on her board, then her head in her hand. “That’s when you’re sexiest.”

“Oh?” Asami waggled her eyebrows and shifted. “Tell me more about how sexy I am.”

Later, after Korra powered down her tablet and redressed, she fell right asleep.

 

 

“Agh! Are you serious!?” Korra stood up and reached into her snow pants and into her pants pocket. She pulled out her broken cell phone which snapped in half when she took a spill on a particularly difficult jump. The snowboarder only had herself to blame. She should have left it back home, but she wanted to take some pictures with Wu Hou-Ting, the semi famous snowboarder who agreed, as a favor to her Aunt, to give Korra some tips.

The man in question, a slim bodied guy with a huge nose, skin almost as dark as Korra’s, and well groomed hair, jogged up to her from where he stood at the base of the half-pipe watching.

“You okay?” he asked in his trademark nasally tone. “Whoa, well, at least it’s the phone and not you!”

She nodded and shook her head.

“My girlfriend is going to be mad, though. She likes to call me while I’m at work.”

“She’ll get over it,” he said while dusting excess snow from her. “Do you know what you did wrong on that move?”

“Didn’t spot.”

The man nodded his head, “Always got to spot your landings! Now get back up there and try again.”

Not a stranger to hard work, Korra nodded and shoved the broken phone back in her pocket. They’d been on the slopes for over three hours now and she’d learned so much.

Another hour passed and Wu stopped her to get something to eat.

“It’s not just about pulling the biggest air or doing the fanciest tricks,” the pro snowboarder said between bites of barbecue pork, “What it’s really about is winning over the crowd. If they love you, they’re going to love what you do.” He ran a hand through his hair and smiled like he was doing a commercial.

Korra smirked and leaned back, “But I imagine that pulling big air and being spot on with your tricks does help, right?”

“Oh yeah! Get perfect, but don’t forget to win hearts while you’re at it. No one wants to root for someone they don’t know. It’s like those TV shows where the competitors come with their sob stories. They want to identify with you,” he took a large bite of his sandwich and chewed thoughtfully.

She nodded her head and poked around at the mashed potatoes in her Styrofoam container. This was the food that she and Asami ate the second day after they made love. It caused her heart to tighten. She shook her head and inhaled.

“You make it sound like I’ll never be famous unless I have a sob story.”

Wu quickly swallowed, “Who is another favorite snowboarder besides myself?”

Korra thought for a moment.

He quickly interjected, “You don’t have to say their name. But think about them. Think about who they are. Ask yourself if it is just their tricks that made you like them. Or was it a combination of things: tricks, personality, and background?”

The mocha skinned woman couldn’t disagree. Her favorite snowboarders have always had interesting personalities and unique backgrounds. The fact that they could throw the best tricks was just icing on the cake.

“How are things going?”

Her aunt sat down at the table in the cafeteria and looked between Wu and herself.

“They’re wonderful, Kya. You know, your niece, she’s got some major talent. I fully expect to see her on the circuit soon,” his sincerity caused Korra to blush.

“That’s wonderful to hear. I have to thank you for this last minute visit. I know your schedule is tight right now.”

He waved his hand and dabbed at the corners of his mouth with his napkin. “Nonsense! How can I refuse a request from the woman who helped get me so famous!?”

Korra’s eyebrows lifted and she looked back and forth between her aunt and Wu.

The older woman shook her head, “All I did was make some phone calls to the news stations. You already had the talent. You just needed some sponsors to get you better equipment.”

“Still,” he stood and made a dramatic bow, “Without you I might still be falling down mountains back home.”

Kya laughed and Korra made a mental note to get the woman to tell her all about Wu and their quirky relationship. Clearly her aunt had been holding out on her.

“Almost done?” Wu asked as he finished the last of his barbecue.

Korra nodded and wolfed down the last of her food.

“Good! Because I have some drills I want to teach you. They’ll help change the muscle strength in your legs and hopefully give you a few more inches in the air.”

“What time do you want me to call the limo?” her aunt stood up and took out her cell phone. Korra winced and remembered the broken one in her pocket. She’d have to remember to call Asami on the tablet later.

Wu tilted his head, “I think we’ll be done around eight or nine. If you can have it ready for me, then, that ought to be good.”

Korra coughed and swallowed, “Eight or nine?!”

He nodded solemnly, “I want to make sure you understand and can replicate everything I’m teaching you.”

The young woman groaned.

By the time she crawled into bed, her body sore and exhausted, she fell right asleep, completely forgetting to check with Asami on the tablet.

 

The next morning Korra barely made it to work on time. She dozed between handing out skis and equipment to patrons. At the end of her shift she stopped to get something to eat before heading back to the house to rest before her workout.

Her Aunt walked up to her waiting in line, “Korra, Bolin is on the phone in my office. He says he needs to talk to you. Says he can’t get through to your phone.”

Korra slapped her forehead and sighed, “Yeah. I broke it yesterday. I meant to get on the tablet and send out a message, but I was so tired.”

The woman smiled and ushered her along. She entered the office. Kya left her alone for privacy.

“Yo, Bolin. Sorry man, I broke my phone yesterday. But you should have totally met Wu. He’s so egotistical, but at the same time quite likable. It’s weird!”

On the other end she heard her best friend sigh. Korra worried her brows and sat down in the office chair.

“What’s up?”

The muscled man finally spoke, though his voice sounded distant, “I... I don’t know how to tell you this. I don’t even know if I should.”

“Bolin, spit it out!” Her lack of sleep and exhaustion left her feeling more than irritated with his wish-washy words.

“Yesterday... last night... Mako convinced me to go to this party with him. It was at one of those frats near the campus. Was pretty cool and stuff. Asami joined us. And... and I saw her... I saw her go into a bedroom with some guy. I think... I mean... they... Korra... they...”

A high pitched ringing entered Korra’s ears. She felt the blood rush from her face. Her limbs suddenly became dead weights.

Bolin continued, “I’m so sorry. Korra. She cheated on you...”

Korra swallowed and put the phone down. She didn’t hang it up. She also didn’t pick it back up, either. Her entire body shook. Surely Bolin must be lying.

But why would he lie? What would he gain from it?

The snowboarder finally picked up the phone again. She heard her best friend asking for her.

“I... I’m here,” she said while trying to keep it together. “I... are you sure?”

“Yeah. I got a really good view. I only saw the guy from the back, but I definitely saw her,” he whispered the last part.

She swallowed and licked her lips.

“I... I gotta go.”

Bolin didn’t respond. She hung up and stood up from the chair.

Then suddenly she ran out of the office. Her aunt called after her but she ignored it. She ran straight to her room and grabbed the tablet. Realizing she’d powered it off she smashed the button until it showed the starting screen.

Korra sat on the bed and tried to calm her shaking body.

She needed to talk to Asami. She needed to find out from the woman herself.

 


	19. Chapter 19

The night Asami returned to Republic City with Bolin she didn’t even make it into her home before sobbing. She held it together the entire drive back. She managed to make small talk with the large man and pretend that leaving Korra wasn't that big of a deal. It amazed her that in just such a short time she had grown so fond of the younger woman

She leaned on the counter and tried to calm her body. It wracked with so many emotions that she couldn’t keep track of them. Some time passed before she managed to drag her luggage up the steps. She crashed on her bed and fell asleep instantly.

The next day passed in a daze as she unpacked and readied her things for the new semester. Her highlight came when she could finally chat with Korra on the tablet. It hurt to only be able to see and talk to the other woman and not touch, taste, and smell her. But she decided that it was better than nothing.

It helped that she had Little Korra. The stuffed wolf she got for Christmas sat on her bed. She took great care to rub it on her girlfriend every chance she got and try to imprint it with the snowboarder’s essence and scent. Korra would give her weird looks whenever it happened but never questioned the act. Either she understood or she just passed it off as Asami’s affection. No matter the reason, it seemed to work, even if only as a placebo.

One other thing that brought a large smile to her face were the tank tops and blue hoody she ‘accidentally’ packed in with her clothes. Those items definitely did have her girlfriend’s scent and while unpacking the next day she pulled the hoody on and wore it around the house.

She didn’t just steal them, however. She traded them with a few shirts of her own. Though it was doubtful her girlfriend would notice right away given that she shoved them into the drawer behind some other things in her dresser.

The college student hoped her girlfriend wouldn't consider this act as weird or obsessive. She had no logical explanation other than just a basic instinct to want to feel near and close to her beloved Korra. No other person ever brought this childishness out in her. And she loved the mocha-skinned woman all the more for it.

 

Several days after leaving the mountain Asami arrived home one afternoon to find an unmarked black sedan parked on the street outside of her house. It left her feeling nervous and she immediately went inside to call her dad.

“Has anyone come out of it?” he asked when she explained to him the situation. She wondered if it had anything to do with his business problems that he still would not explain any further.

She shook her head and sighed, “No. But it’s obvious there are at least two people inside. Dad, does this have anything to do with the problems you’re having?”

She heard him shuffle the phone and some other things clink around. “What? No, of course not. I’m coming down. Stay inside, okay?”

He hung up before she had a chance to respond. Asami stared hard out of her window. She didn’t try to hide the fact that she knew they were looking back. In irritation she flipped them off and closed her curtains.

Nothing felt right about this situation. Why were they here? What was her father really hiding from her?

While she waited for the older Sato to arrive she turned on the television to distract her from any creeping thoughts as to why unmarked cars would be parked outside of her house. A news station popped on talking about some rebel group in another country fighting against the government. The dead bodies shown on screen only made her depressed so she turned the TV off and went to work on some reading for classes.

In the middle of getting ahead on her homework she heard a car pull into the driveway. She hopped up and went to the front door to find her father walking towards the black sedan.

The gray haired man tapped on the window, which rolled down to reveal two men inside, and she slowly walked towards them trying to make out the conversation.

Her father waved his hands angrily at the generic looking men. As soon she got close enough to hear some of the words she saw her father glancing nervously at her and then back to the men in the car.

“As I said before,” he stated, “You can check my business and home all you want, but I want you to leave my daughter out of this!”

Before she had a chance to hear anything else he turned and took her by the arm leading her back towards the house. It wasn’t until they were both inside that he let go.

He sighed and moved to the cupboard. After pouring himself a cup of water and taking a long drink he sat down at the kitchen table and ran a hand through his hair.

“Dad,” she started slowly, “What is going on?”

The older Sato shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing! Obviously!”

She sat down in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest. Her brows knit tightly together and she stared him down the way she watched him do to so many others in his business dealings.

For a long time he didn’t say anything. He looked as if he might bolt several times. Once he finished the glass of water he stroked his mustache and leaned back.

“I’m under investigation at the moment,” he stated simply. When she opened her mouth to ask a series of questions that flooded her mind he cut her off, “Every so often a business has to go through this. They want to check for tax evasion, making certain that everyone is being paid properly, and the like. Seems that because of my profits they think something shady is going on behind it all and that if they rifle through all of my records that they’ll find something.”

“Is there something to find?!” Asami leaned forward and gripped the edge of her kitchen table. Her chest hurt and she felt a lump in her throat.

Her father stared directly into her eyes, “Nothing. Asami. I swear to you, they will find nothing!” He looked away and shook his head, “But someone has it out for me. I just have to find out who wants to sully the Sato name like this!”

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

They both shook their heads.

“Does this have anything to do with that Mr. Amon? You think he might be the one?”

“Maybe,” he brushed her off. “I don’t know. But what I do know is that this is not your concern. You focus on college and finishing your degree. We’ll let my lawyers deal with this and before you know it everything will have passed, okay?”

She bit her lip and stared doubtfully.

He leaned forward and pressed a hand to her shoulder. “You do trust me, right, Asami?”

The raven haired woman sighed and nodded. “And I love you. And so of course I’m going to worry, even if you tell me not to,” she pressed her hand on top of his. “But if you say this will all go away soon, then I trust you.”

Her father smiled and stood up. He pulled her up into a hug and held her there.

Several moments passed before he let go. In all the many times he hugged her, all the times he assured her, this was the first in which she did not feel good about it.

She walked him to the front door and frowned to see the car still parked.

“Don’t worry about it. They think they’re going to catch you red handed with illegal paperwork or something. They’re idiots!” He yelled at them, red faced, and shook his hand.

Asami hugged him again and told him to drive safe.

Once back inside the house she leaned on the front door and tried to make sense of all the swirling thoughts. She tried to return to her classwork but found herself becoming more and more distracted. Her phone beeped with an alarm reminding her to be online for Korra.

The college student grabbed her tablet and sat down on the couch. She only had moments to consider telling this all to the other woman. But she didn’t know what to make of it herself, yet, let alone how to explain it to her girlfriend.

And her girlfriend had other things to worry about such as her own family problems. The snowboarder also seemed very focused on trying to use this time to practice and understand how to use the tools on her snowboard.

Asami made up her mind. She wouldn’t bother Korra with any of this. Not yet, at least. Instead she set out to continue training the other woman in using the tool set. It served as a welcome distraction to all the things going on with her father.

 

 

A week passed. The car never left. She would occasionally see one of the men standing next to the car or walking around and looking at the other homes. Her neighbors gave her awkward stares but she ignored them.

Asami still hadn’t said anything to Korra. She felt guilty, but the other woman had a lot going on her plate. And she didn’t want to ruin the news about her girlfriend getting to train with a semi-pro snowboarder.

She sat down to lunch with Tuyen and poked at her chicken salad. Between school work, teaching Korra, and this thing with her father, she found herself more and more distracted. The stress of everything was piling up slowly and making her shoulders slump.

“Having a fight with your girlfriend?”

Asami lifted her eyes and blinked a few times.

“A fight? With your girlfriend? You seem so distracted and out of it,” her best friend flicked a piece of shredded lettuce at her.

The engineering major made a show of wiping her shirt and taking the other woman.

“I’m not fighting with Korra.”

“Then what? All those girls and boys keep sending you love letters? Not going to graduate? Car broke down?” her friend took a drink from a bottle of flavored water. She stared, paused, and then poked her arm. “Earth to Asami! You can’t hide this from me. I will find out.”

“It’s nothing! Okay?” She sighed in exasperation. “Korra and I are fine.”

“Fine, you say?”

“Yes, fine.”

“Because it seems like you are missing her so much that you’re becoming despondent over her,” Tuyen pondered this as she nibbled some chips. “Or maybe she wants to break up with you?”

“Tuyen...”

“Okay, okay. Fine. Everything is wonderful in relationship land. Don’t mind me. Just the bitter single friend, here,” the woman in front of her winked and smiled. “But really, what is wrong with you?”

Asami tilted her head and pushed the food away. She hadn’t much of an appetite lately. If Korra were around the woman would be making sure she ate well and ate often, if only because the snowboarder’s appetite was never ending.

“Asami, please don’t make me ask again,” pleaded her friend.

The raven haired woman pressed her head to her hands and swallowed. She licked her lips and tried to stay calm as she explained everything going on with her father.

The one thing she kept to herself were her many worries. Though the older man made it sound like all was well, she couldn’t help comparing the situation to Korra’s family and the problems with the ski resort.

If her father lost this company it would be devastating. He’d staked his entire reputation and fortune with it. Even if he told her not to worry, she worried a great deal.

“Dang, Asami. I just don’t even know where to start... that must be hard.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “He says it’s something that’s routine, that happens at least once in the life of a business. I know I shouldn’t let it get to me.”

“You’re only human! Of course you’re can’t help letting it get to you. Sheesh. I bet Korra is like one ticket away from showing back up. The fact that you ignored so many of my messages over vacation.... you two probably never left the bedroom.”

“Korra doesn’t know.”

Tuyen set her drink down and frowned, “Why doesn’t she know?”

“Because she doesn’t need to, not yet. Not unless something happens.”

“Something has happened...”

“Nothing worth bothering her over.”

“Asami...”

“I’ll tell her after the winter season, when she’s not busy trying to perfect her snowboarding. If she’s distracted she won’t work as hard. I know _I_ wouldn’t work very hard,” she said as she thought about her own school work. The raven haired woman continued quickly, “I’m not as worried about Korra’s situation because I know she has her family there. And I have mine, here. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“I still think you should tell her.”

Asami dropped her head and rubbed her temples.

“I will. Just... not now. Okay?”

Tuyen stared at her. After a few moment she reached over to run a hand through her hair.

“You’re such a stubborn pain.”

Asami laughed and wiped the corners of her eyes. She held the tears in this time.

After lunch she swung by her father’s business to check in on things. She knew he wouldn’t be around and instead decided to grill some of the other employees and his secretary. Everyone she talked to claimed they couldn’t talk about the investigation.

She went into her dad’s office and tried to see if she could find anything in his drawers, but most were empty or filled with blank sheets. She even went so far as to try to figure out the combination to his wall safe, but after several unsuccessful attempts she gave up.

Her cell phone rang and she answered it without looking.

“Asami what’s up?”

A smile crossed her face when she recognized the voice. “Hey Bolin. How are you?”

“Great, just great! So yeah, next week, party at that frat with the symbols that have weird ‘o’ looking things with a spear down the middle? Ahnah said it’d be a pretty big bash. I guess trying to beat down the mid winter blues or something,” he went on about nothing in particular. Asami smiled. For some reason she had a feeling Korra put him up to this as she’d never really hung out with the muscled man outside of the influence of her girlfriend.

“You know what,” she took a deep breath and stared at the picture of her father and deceased mother on her dad’s desk, “Sounds good. Text me the details.”

 

 

Asami stopped by the gym to pick up Bolin and Ahnah. She invited Tuyen along but the woman had a study group she couldn’t afford to miss. When she pulled up in her charger she frowned deeply. Mako stood next to his brother and gave a short wave.

Bolin opened the door and smiled, “Hey! Mako didn’t have his internship today and so I told him he could tag along, that okay?”

She forced a smile and nodded.

The muscled man pumped his fist and climbed into the back with her former volleyball teammate. Mako sat in the front and she gave him a quiet greeting.

It was only a ten minute drive to the frat. Asami made sure to park far enough away so that she could get out quickly if the party got too out of hand, which they tended towards in this school.

“Let’s get our boogy on!” Bolin shouted as he followed the small crowd towards the thumping frat house.

Ahnah rolled her eyes, “No one says boogy anymore, you dork!” She flicked his forehead with her finger and he feigned pain.

Asami tried to stay near her teammate while Mako kept to her other side. She didn’t say much to him but could tell he wanted to talk to her.

“I just want a drink,” she muttered as she tightened her jacket around her torso. She hadn’t heard from Korra all day and it bothered her. Even just a simple text like ‘luv u’ from the other woman made her feel better. Still, Bolin didn’t seem worried, and this was the day she was supposed to work with the semi-pro.

Inside the party she parted ways and found the keg. After downing several beers she joined in the fun with Bolin and Ahnah. She danced with the two, as well as several other people, for many songs. Mako made no appearance on the dance floor and she forgot all about him.

After getting all sweaty and tired she went in search of a drink.

A cup of beer appeared by her face as she tried pumping the keg for the last bits and she turned to find Mako offering it.

“Truce?”

She frowned and took it from him.

“I don’t know. What are you offering?”

“Listen,” he half yelled over the music, “I know I can be an ass. And I won’t lie... I’ve had a crush on you for a while. So maybe I was more than a little jealous when you went for my brother’s friend. I’m competitive and I can’t help that.”

She sipped the beer and listened to him. Maybe she’d misjudged him. Maybe all of his attempts to talk to her were just her misreading the situation.

He sighed and ran a hand through his spiky hair. “I’ve heard there’s some problem at your dad’s business. I don’t know what I can do to help, but maybe I can lend an ear?”

Asami bit her lower lip and pushed her damp hair back. She nodded her head and followed him through the crowd. He stayed pretty far ahead of her as he waved her to follow him. A frat boy pushed between them and tried to hug her. She twisted in his arms and felt herself being pulled into a room.

The last thing she remembered was her head suddenly pounding and her legs giving out from under her. Mako called her name and she fell into his arms.

 

 

The next morning she awoke with the bad taste of vomit in her mouth. She lifted her head which pounded like a jackhammer on the inside of her skull. Around her people snored and slept. She recognized the room as the living room she was dancing in not long ago. Except now the room was filled with sunlight, half empty cups everywhere, and people sleeping in various forms of dress all about.

Asami did a check and found herself still clothed. She reached into her pocket for her cell phone and saw several missed calls from Ahnah and one from Tuyen. The memories of last night were fuzzy at best. She tried to remember anything past drinking with Mako, but nothing came to her.

The engineering major sighed and dragged herself up. Several minutes later she found her jacket and trudged through the snow to her car, where she then had to spend a few minutes cleaning the snow from it and warming it up. By the time she arrived home she was ready to go back to sleep and pretend she didn’t get super wasted at a stupid frat party.

What she wasn’t ready for were the two men—who’d been camped out in front of her house—to be waiting at her door.

Asami hit the garage door button and parked inside. She went out the front and rubbed her head as she rounded the corner to the door.

“I’m really not up for this, guys,” she said as she looked back and forth between the two.

They each held up their badges and Asami squinted her eyes at them.

“We’re with the FBI. I’m Agent Yoru and that’s Agent Hankan. May we speak with you inside?”

“Regarding?”

She dropped her hands to her sides and shoved them into her pockets.

“It would be best if we could talk with you inside,” Agent Yoru said.

The college student stared back and forth between the two. She sighed and walked by them, unlocked the door, and entered. The two men followed and closed the door behind them.

“Are you aware that we’ve been investigating your father for the past few months?”

_Few months_?! She shook her head and went straight for the aspirin in the cupboard above the sink. “Yeah,” she lied, “Something about bad paperwork and tax evasion. You guys are just trying to cause trouble, right?”

“Is that what he told you?”

The raven haired woman took a glass and filled it with water. She popped the aspirin in her mouth and swallowed it down with a drink.

Both men looked at one another and then her.

“We’ve been investigating him for his planes supplying weapons to the Kyoshi rebel group.”

Asami shook her head and laughed, “What? No. You’re mistaken. My dad has no interest in that kind of stuff.”

Both agents shared a look again. She frowned and felt her heart climb into her throat.

“Today we uncovered the last bit of evidence we needed. He, indeed, has been helping to supply weapons against the Ba Sing Se government. We arrested him an hour ago and are holding him in the Republic City Jail for the time until he can be transferred to a federal facility inside Sozin. Because of his crimes he won’t be getting out on bail.”

Asami felt her blood go ice cold and she struggled to understand all this sudden information.

“Wait, wait... you’re not lying, my father is... he...”

“We thought you might be involved, but it is obvious you had no idea,” Agent Yoru reached inside his coat and pulled out several stacks of papers. “We’re seizing several of his properties, freezing his bank accounts, and shutting down his company. This includes this house, which is in his name. You’re not getting kicked out right away, but you will have to move within the next month.”

Asami wobbled against the counter. She wanted to throw up, which might be the second time that day if the taste in her mouth was any indication.

“At this point, we thought you might want to talk to him before we move him. I know it is sudden, but we can give you a ride to the jail and give you some time with him. We’ll give you a chance to clean up before we head over.”

He set the papers on the table, “And we’ll leave these here for his lawyer. I assume you’ll need to work things out with the lawyer from now on.”

Both agents studied her as she did her best to not cry in front of them. The pounding in her ears drowned out everything but the faint din of the man’s voice.

“We’ll give you an hour. Okay?”

The men nodded and went outside. She slowly inhaled and on the exhale, fell to the floor.

 

An hour later she arrived at the jail. A shower helped and the aspirin finally kicked in. Still, she couldn’t help the pounding in her ears and the tightness in her chest.

The two men led her to a small room with one table and two chairs. She sat down and clasped her hands on top of the table. Every time she opened her mouth to speak, she immediately closed it. They explained the investigation on the way over, once again, and even though it swirled all throughout her head, she still doubted they were telling her the truth.

Some time later, minutes, hours, the door opened and Agent Hankan led her father into the room. He looked dressed as if he were ready to go to work. However, around his wrists were a pair of shackles that were chained to shackles on his ankles.

She stifled a sob, watched as the agent secured her father in the other chair, and waited till the black suited man left the room before speaking.

“Is it true?”

Her father stared down at the table in front of him.

She raised her voice, “Is it true!?”

He finally raised his eyes. He looked so tired and so old. She looked away.

“I didn’t want to involve you in it,” he sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“You lied to me.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“How long have you been lying to me!?” Tears streamed down her face as she looked down at her lap. She squeezed her fists so tight she could feel her nails piercing into her skin.

“Asami, sweetheart, I had to... I couldn’t drag you into this.”

“But why? Why any of it?! Did you really need the money so much?”

“It wasn’t about the money,” his voice became stern and she felt like someone took the air from her lungs. “The Ba Sing Se government needs to be stopped. Someone had to help those rebels.”

She lifted her eyes to see his darkened gaze. This man before her wasn’t her father. He wasn’t the smiling man in the wedding picture on his desk. He wasn’t the man she grew to love and know.

“I’m sorry,” he reached up to rub his mustache, but the chains kept his hands from reaching. “That’s all I can say for now.”

Asami shook her head and cried out a laugh.

“Yeah, I suppose that is all you can say. I don’t know what I expected,” she stood up and banged on the door.

“Don’t leave like this,” he pleaded.

“You don’t get to say anything to me,” she warned him between sobs. “I don’t know who you are.”

One of the agents opened the door, she didn’t know who, and she quickly stomped out into the hall. After more explanations of legalities someone called her a taxi and by noon she arrived back at the house. Once inside she went straight to her bed and cried herself to sleep.

 

 

When Asami awoke later it was dark outside. She wandered downstairs and poured herself a large cup of water which she downed in two gulps. Everything seemed like a horrible nightmare. If it weren’t for the stack of papers on her table she would have believed that it was all a dream.

The college student shook her head and rubbed her eyes. She went to her room and found her cell phone on the side table. Still no calls or texts from Korra. One call from an unknown number, probably her father’s attorney, and one from Tuyen, but nothing from her girlfriend.

She grabbed her tablet and powered it up. Though it was dark it was only a little after six. Korra would still be awake.

As she booted up the programs she felt her heart swell and a smile cross her face to see the snowboarder already online. She tapped and waited for the image of the other woman to load in.

While she waited she plopped down on the couch and rubbed her forehead. Where would she even begin? Could she tell her? She didn’t even know what any of it meant, just yet, after all.

“Hey my little bundle of muscles,” she said. Her voice strained tiredly and she internally cursed herself. She furrowed her brows when she saw Korra not looking at her. “So what’s up? You don’t call, you don’t text...?”

“Is it true?”

Asami pursed her lips and tried to think of what her girlfriend could be talking about. Did she know about her father getting arrested?

“What do you mean?” She felt her head spin again. She didn’t want to talk about this so soon.

“Bolin saw you last night.”

The raven haired woman sighed and blinked a few times, “Saw me? Yeah. We went to a party. Me, him, Ahnah, and-”

Her love cut her off, “He saw you go into a bedroom with some guy!”

If Asami hadn’t been sitting down she would have fallen to the ground. What was Korra talking about? She racked her brain. Memories of last night were so fuzzy and far between. She only remembered drinking and dancing and then waking up. If she’d been with someone, she would have known, right?

“I... Are you sure? I mean, is he sure?”

“Just tell me it’s not true,” the snowboarder lifted her eyes. They were red and sore. The woman had been crying. It hurt Asami to see her like this.

What hurt even more is that she couldn’t be sure it wasn’t true. The fact that she woke up in the house with very little memories of what happened made it so that she couldn’t be sure about anything.

“I... I’m sorry... I don’t know...” her voice cracked and she tilted the tablet away from her face. “If something happened I promise you it meant nothing.” She knew she shouldn’t have added that last part, but she didn’t want to lie. She was tired of lies.

“So something might have happened but you don’t know!?”

Asami shook her head and lost the fight against the tears. After all the crying she did earlier, she didn’t think she had anymore. They flooded her eyes and face as if calling for exodus.

“Korra, I love you, I promise you that. But I was really drunk and I-”

“Oh! So getting drunk is your excuse! You know, Mako said you liked to sleep around, so did a lot of others. I chose to ignore them because I thought what we had was different,” Korra growled the last words. It surprised Asami so much that she couldn’t form a reply. “I am... I was in love with you. So much! I... I just... I can’t believe...”

“Korra,” Asami whimpered and squeezed the bridge of her nose. She held the tablet on her lap and tried to calm her shaking body. “Please...”

Neither woman said a word for almost two minutes. Asami couldn’t bring her eyes to those piercing, tear-filled bright blues in the screen. Her mind was muddled with thoughts of her father and fuzzy memories of the previous night.

“I need time,” she heard the mocha-skinned woman sob. “I’ll contact you.”

Asami opened her mouth but saw the screen go black.

She covered her mouth, sobbed, and then began crying. Everything hurt. She didn’t know what to do.

 

When she opened her eyes next, she winced at the pain in her neck and the brightness of the sun filtering in through the large living room window. She’d fallen asleep on the couch. A pounding on the door drew her attention away from the weakness in her body and she forced herself up.

“Coming,” she yelled. As she made her way to the door she wondered what the hell else the universe could throw at her. The pounding continued and so when she got to her front door she whipped it open and with all the fury she could muster she screamed, “What!? What do you want!?”

Tuyen stared at her wide eyed with arms crossed over her chest and a look on her face that said she would not be taking any of Asami’s bullshit.

“Tuyen,” Asami wiped her eyes and stood to the side to let the shorter woman in. “Sorry.”

“I’m going to let it go considering your current circumstances,” Tuyen kicked the snow off her boots and closed the door behind her. “How are you holding up, anyways?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I saw Mako on campus and asked how the party was. He said you got really drunk and slept with some guy. Then he said your father got arrested yesterday. And you weren’t answering any of my calls so I thought I’d drop by and check in on you.”

Her best friend shrugged her jacket off and then pulled her into a big hug. Asami choked and took a deep breath. She didn’t want to fall into another crying fit.

“I’m going to make you some breakfast because you look like you haven’t eaten in days and while I do that you’re going to shower, put something comfy on, and tell mama Tuyen all about it,” she felt herself get pushed towards the stairs. With a sigh she climbed them and headed toward the bathroom.

A few hours later she sat on the couch next to her best friend and nibbled on some pieces of bacon. She’d basically spilled all the events of the last three days to the other woman. With no emotion left in her it all came out like a robotic drone. It was as if she was standing outside of her body watching herself speak.

“You know you have to go to the police and a doctor, right? You were obviously drugged!”

Asami sighed ran a hand through her damp hair. “Maybe. Or maybe I just drank myself into oblivion. Tuyen, I did get very drunk...”

“Okay! So maybe that’s true. But you woke up in a strange house with no memories. Seriously, if we don’t go out that door right now, I’m going to drag you out against your will,” she watched her friend stand and grab her wrist.

“What does it even matter? Maybe I deserve this,” Asami blinked back some tears, “My father is aiding terrorists and I’m a slut who sleeps around. Korra deserves someone better.”

A slap struck her cheek and Asami gaped at her friend.

The shorter woman stood red faced, eyes glaring, and hand raised ready to hit again.

“Stop it! Stop this! This isn’t you! You are not responsible for your father’s actions and even if you did sleep around before you met Korra, you didn’t after. And what happened two nights ago, I’ll bet my degree that it wasn’t your fault! Now get your ass up and let’s go.”

Asami felt her whole body shake. She felt so zapped of energy.

“Okay, okay, I get it,” she lifted her head and forced a smile, “Let’s go.”

Tuyen sighed and helped her to her feet.

“I got you, okay? We’re going to get you through this.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "While it is always best to believe in one's self, a little help from others can be a great blessing."  
> -Uncle Iroh


	20. Chapter 20

If Korra didn’t have much motivation before, she certainly had it now. She dove right into her workouts to the point where she would stay on the mountain from after lunch until the close almost every day. And on the days she didn’t, she spent them asleep, not wanting at all to meet the day or talk to anyone who might ask about Asami.

The truth was she regretted how she acted that night with her girlfriend. After she turned off the tablet, in a fit of anger, she snapped it over her knee. It didn’t break in half, but it did splinter the screen. And by the sound she felt fairly certain it was beyond repair.

The moment she heard the crack she knew she messed up.

But the manner in which Asami replied to her questions just didn’t sit right with her. She’d been feeling something off about her girlfriend for some time. She just never imagined the woman would cheat on her.

All these thoughts swirled in her head while she sat in the rental building. And all these thoughts bled from her mind the moment she hit the slopes. She worked her body daily to the point where sore muscles became familiar friends.

If she stopped for a moment to think about anything else, she’d start crying again, and in spite of having all the strength in the world to go up and down the half pipe, she had no more strength for that particular physical exertion.

A week after she destroyed the tablet she finally had her phone replaced. With the help of the retailer she had all her numbers restored onto the new phone.

The first thing she did was scroll to Asami’s name and number.

She wanted so dearly to talk to the woman.

Yet, there were no voice mails, texts, or even emails from her girlfriend.

If she could even call her that, anymore.

A frown smeared her face.

She sighed and returned to the home screen.

Her father met her out in the parking lot. He had the day off and needed to run some errands in the small town at the base of the mountain. She joined him to replace her phone.

They didn’t talk the entire drive down. Like many other times he turned the radio to his favorite classic rock station. She gazed out the window, like usual, and listened to him sing along, poorly, with all the songs.

When she approached the truck he stepped out of the driver’s side and tossed her the keys. She nearly dropped her new phone.

“Uh... going somewhere?”

Her father shook his head. “Get in,” he said as he approached the passenger side.

She stared at him for several seconds. He opened the door and glanced up to see her still standing in the same spot with the keys dangling from her fingers.

“Might as well learn. Can’t keep relying on others to take you places,” he stated before closing the door.

Korra blinked a few times, shook her head, and went to the drivers side. She jammed her phone in her pocket and climbed up into the cab.

“Okay, before you put the keys in, let’s go over a few things: seat belt, always, no argument. If I ever see you not wearing it, I’ll hit you so hard your kids will smart from the pain,” she smiled at his words and pulled the belt across her body. “Second, mirrors. Check them, adjust them, make sure you don’t have to move your head too much. Should all be visible with a glance. Third: speed limits. Don’t go over them. Always go a few miles under. If people get impatient, let them go around. If your passengers get impatient, ask them if they’d like to walk.”

Korra chuckled but nodded her head.

He proceeded to explain to her about shifting gears and what each of the levers did on the steering column. Most of it she already knew, though she worried herself over actually being able to shift while driving.

When he finally allowed her to put the keys in the ignition she asked, “What made you decide to teach me today?”

The older man shrugged his shoulders and leaned back, “You’re growing up. And you’ve been working hard. And you seemed a bit out of it this week. Figured now was as good as ever.” He looked around the parking lot, “Plus, your mom isn’t with us. I know she’d have a conniption and make you wait until summer to learn so you wouldn’t get into some icy wreck on the roads.”

She nodded her head as she shifted into drive.

He allowed her to drive the entire way back up the mountain. She stalled several times, nearly hit a few cars, and a tree, but managed to pull into the lot and get it into park with very little gear grinding.

“That was a good first lesson,” he said as he unbuckled his belt and opened his door. Korra followed his actions and stepped on to the packed snow with a crunch. “We’ll do this a few times a week, or more, when time allows. You’ll be able to take the test by the end of the month and pass with flying colors if you keep it up like that.”

She walked over to hand him the keys. Her intention was to put them in his hand and thank him, but she found herself wrapping her arms around him and hugging tight.

“Pup?” He tentatively hugged her in return and pet her head.

Korra pressed her nose against his weather worn jacket and fought back the tears. He smelled like engine oil. Her entire body shook.

It took her a few moments to gather herself and when she pulled back she immediately wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Her father watched her with a worried gaze.

“Just, thanks. I appreciate this,” she patted his shoulder and then turned to help unload the supplies.

He kissed her on the top of her head.

“Your hair is getting long again,” he noted. “Remember when you used to fight with your mom when she’d try to braid it?”

Korra laughed and nodded.

“You always had so much spunk and energy. You still do. But you’re not that little wide eyed girl who used to follow me around all the time, not anymore, I mean,” he sighed.

She followed him into the storage and set a handful of boxes down on the shelf. “I bet I’ll always be that girl, in one way or another,” she replied, “I hope I always need you. Even if it’s just for advice on how to shift going uphill.”

He rubbed her head and she grinned.

 

That night she fell onto her bed and stared at her phone.

She looked to her picture files with a heavy heart. The man at the store hadn’t been able to salvage them. He could only get the numbers which were saved on a cloud server. But he did set up her phone so that her pictures from now on would save there, as well.

Still, it didn’t help her with her current predicament. She had no pictures of her girlfriend. All she had was a phone number, a tool set, and a broken heart.

Impulsively she pressed the number to call Asami. Then, just as impulsively, she ended the call before it even began. She rolled onto her other side, groaned, and chewed her lip.

Just wanting to hear her voice didn’t mean she forgave her.

And if Korra could admit one thing to herself, it was that Asami might not have cheated at all. The woman sounded confused. That didn’t register to the snowboarder until later one when she finally calmed down.

Maybe she did just get so drunk that she couldn’t remember.

That wasn’t an excuse. There is no excuse for cheating.

And she’d give the woman hell if that were the case.

She stared at the number and the name.

If Asami drank so much that she couldn’t remember, what caused her to go that far? Hadn’t there been something off about her leading up to that point? Before she left the mountain she appeared not herself, as well.

Perhaps there was more to this than Korra even knew.

Or what if she was making excuses just so she could talk to Asami again? What if she wanted so much to hear, taste, and smell her that she would blind herself to the possibility that she was with a cheater?

She rubbed her forehead and tried to will away the growing headache. The more she thought about the whole mess, the more she wanted to just go to sleep and hit the slopes in the morning.

Korra set the phone on the table next to her bed and turned off the light. For several minutes she lay there and stared at the darkened ceiling. Blood pounded in her ears and she felt a tightness in her chest.

She suddenly reached for the phone and opened up the texting app.

‘I want to talk to u. When can I call?’ she hit the send button and held the phone against her chest. She fell asleep waiting for the sound notification of a reply text.

 

 

The next few days Korra sat anxiously with her phone when she wasn’t out on the half pipe, or jogging. Asami never replied to her. She sent another text with the same thing, except adding that she wasn’t sure the first one went through, and waited.

Finally she caved in and called. It rang twice and then went to voice mail.

That settled it.

Asami didn’t want to talk to Korra.

The snowboarder should have felt angrier than she did. Instead, she felt sad. What was going on with her girlfriend that she couldn’t even talk to her?

She called Bolin to ask him, but he surprised her with his own news. He’d been invited to try out for a national team of weightlifters this summer. She listened to him talk all about it and hadn’t the heart to bring up Asami, though he did inquire about Korra’s well being, which she appreciated.

In the end she just had no way of contacting Asami. If the woman did not want to talk to her, there was nothing Korra could do.

So Korra got on her snowboard every night.

She took driving lessons from her dad.

And she pretended everything was okay.

And things were okay. Not great. But not bad.

Life felt dull without the college student.

 

Things kept on like that for some time. Korra didn’t keep track. Observations told her, however, that spring was upon them. The sun stayed out longer, the days grew warmer, and chiffchaffs began their chirping.

Then one day she entered the house, kicked off her snow boots, put her board against the wall, and shrugged out of her jacket. She trudged to her room and pulled the straps off of her snow pants.

At the door she stopped and frowned.

Her mom sat on the bed holding the broken tablet that she’d stuffed away inside the drawer.

She hadn’t told her parents about her fight with Asami. No one knew that she wasn’t talking to the woman. They would ask about her from time to time and Korra would say she’s doing well, but that she was quite busy. It wasn’t her intention to lie to her parents, but after everything that happened over the holidays, she couldn’t bring herself to tell them it all fell apart over one fight.

Telling them would have been admitting defeat.

“When did this happen?”

Korra looked around. There were folded clothes on her bed and a basket of clothes on the floor. In retrospect she should have found another hiding spot for the broken device. Then again, maybe she wanted someone to find it.

“A... a while ago,” she sighed as she pushed the snow pants down off her legs and draped them on the closet door. She reached for the tablet but her mother pulled it away.

“How?”

The snowboarder leaned against the wall and looked down. “I snapped it across my knee.”

The older woman sighed, “I thought something has been bothering you. I assumed you were missing her...”

Korra said nothing. The world came crashing down around her. A world where she pretended that everything was okay and that she’d be okay. She clenched her fists.

“Little pup, please talk to me.”

“I...” Her breath hitched in her throat, “I know you’re mad but I just-”

“I’m not mad,” her mother stood up and pulled at her shoulders. She felt the woman hug her tight and squeeze the tears out of her. “I’m worried about you. All you do is spend time outside and you don’t talk much anymore. I just want to know what’s happened!”

Korra couldn’t form any words. She cried against her mother’s shoulder. The woman combed her hair and held her. Eventually she walked her to the bed and sat down with her. Korra rested her head in the mother’s lap as she waited for the tears to stop.

Her mother hummed to her.

When she finally calmed down enough to speak, she didn’t know where to begin.

“I messed up,” she started, her voice hoarse and quiet, “I got mad and broke it. I got mad and she won’t talk to me and I don’t know what to do.”

Her mother didn’t say anything. She just combed through her hair over and over, an action which made Korra rather drowsy.

“Why did you get mad?”

The snowboarder squeezed the blanket in front of her, “Bolin... I... I heard she cheated on me, from Bolin. When I asked her about it, she didn’t deny it. But... I mean... I didn’t give her a chance to explain, either.”

“This is a tough one,” murmured the other woman, “You’re all the way up here, she’s all the way down there, and the two of you have had some kind of misunderstanding.”

Korra sighed and rubbed her cheek against her mother’s thigh. She bit back a quip about her already knowing all this.

“How long ago did this happen?”

“January,” she mumbled.

The older woman pinched her ear and Korra turned her head to look at her incredulously.

“That long ago and all this time you’ve been telling us things are great between you two!?”

She frowned and turned away, “I didn’t want to worry anyone.”

“You worried me even more by not telling me!”

“Sorry.”

Her mother sighed and rubbed the pinched spot.

“You can be just as stubborn as your father. Honestly,” the woman huffed and tugged at the hair along her neck. “Are you growing this out?”

Korra shrugged her shoulders.

“All you can do is wait until you’re able to go back to the city. And when you go back, if you still want her, you better throw yourself at that woman and beg her forgiveness.”

“What if she did cheat on me?”

“Little pup,” her mother squeezed her shoulder, “Admittedly, I don’t know Asami as well as you, but I imagine that something drove her to do such a desperate act. If she did, then that is between you two to figure out. But I don’t think you’ll be yourself again until you talk to her. You love her, right?”

The little pup in question nodded her head.

“Then once the season is over, go back to the city and work it out. We’ve only got another six to seven weeks,” she began her humming again.

“But what if she’s moved on?”

The humming ceased. She heard her mother chuckle. “Korra, that woman loves you. If you watched her the way I did back in December, then you would realize just how much she adores you. That’s why I don’t think whatever happened was wholly her fault. I can’t tell you if you should give her another chance, but the two of you do need to sit down and talk.”

Korra chewed the inside of her cheek and looked at the tool set on her dresser.

“You’re young, little pup. So is she. There’s no rush for the two of you. Things like this just take time and patience,” the woman played with her hair making Korra yawn. “I do want to ask one of thing of you, though.”

“Whazzat?” the snowboarder replied sleepily.

“Can you please learn to do your own laundry, from now on?”

Korra smiled and squeezed her mom’s waist.

 

 

The rest of the week played out a lot easier than the previous weeks. She awoke on Friday, her birthday, to her mom and dad dragging her out of bed. They pushed her into the truck and took her into town. Much to her surprise they’d scheduled a test to get her driver’s license.

Two hours later and she was ‘legally’ driving them back up the mountain along with a birthday cake. When she arrived she found her aunt standing next to an old model Toyota car.

Korra stepped out of the truck and opened her mouth to ask whose car it was and had a pair of keys thrown at her.

“Happy birthday, kid!”

She stood next to the car, jaw dropped, and eyes wide. “What? No way!”

Aunt Kya laughed and patted her back. She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to her, “It’s in your name. You’ll have to pick up the insurance eventually, but for now your dad is covering it.”

She looked over to her parents who stood next to each other while wearing the biggest smiles. Korra launched herself at them and hugged them each in turn.

“I gotta take this thing out,” she said while walking around it.

“Not yet. We have one more gift,” her mother nodded at her aunt who opened the trunk.

Inside sat a brand new snowboard. It had the print of a wolf head in a somewhat cartoonish look with thick black lines on the bottom side. Korra picked it up in her hands as if it were Excalibur.

“This is... awesome,” she exhaled and held it up to look down the length. As she ran a hand over it her mom patted her shoulder.

“And you’ll get to use it all day... tomorrow. You’ve still got a shift to finish and then salmon cakes and chocolate cake to eat,” the woman’s voice was stern, but loving.

Korra smiled and tucked the board under her arm. She fully intended to carry it around with her like a dog with a new toy. Her aunt could only shake her head.

“I’ll walk you to the rental,” Aunt Kya announced.

Both her parents nodded and departed for their own jobs.

“Spring is coming early this year. March is still a day off, yet,” the gray haired woman noted as she walked along sidewalk. Most of the snow had melted in the heat of the sun.

Korra merely nodded and continued to look between the slopes and her snowboard, “This is so awesome. I can’t wait till Asami-” she swallowed and shook her head. “sees...” she finished but her voice dropped to a whisper.

Her aunt’s arm came around her shoulder and she felt herself being pulled close.

“How is she, anyhow?”

Korra tilted her head to look at her aunt. She pursed her lips, “What do you mean? Mom hasn’t told you?”

“Told me what?”

The snowboarder looked down at the sidewalk.

“Just that... we’re not speaking,” she sighed. That wasn’t the entire truth. She decided to send texts and emails once or twice a day. Most of them asking how her girlfriend was doing, but the rest just telling her about her day, how her training was going, and things she found funny.

Mostly, she wanted Asami to know that she hadn’t given up on her. And she didn’t want the college student to do the same.

“That must be hard on her,” her aunt noted sadly. “The stress from her father’s arrest must be getting to her.”

Korra stopped dead in her tracks.

“Her father’s arrest?!”

 

 

An hour after her shift ended Korra sat at the computer in her aunt’s office and clicked through some news links regarding the investigation into Hiroshi Sato’s involvement with the rebel groups in Ba Sing Se. She bit the inside of her cheek and felt her heart race a mile a minute.

After Aunt Kya explained what she saw on the news, she spent the rest of her shift trying to call Asami, then Bolin, only to find both of them cutting her calls to voice mail.

Bolin was likely at work and couldn’t talk.

She would have tried Mako, but she didn’t have his number saved on her phone.

Now that she sat here reading it, she began to understand her girlfriend’s withdrawn nature all that time.

She knew what she had to do.

Korra ran into the house and stuffed a bag full of clothes. She snagged her car keys hanging on the hook and made her way outside. Standing next to the old Toyota were both her aunt and her mother.

“We just talked,” announced her aunt, “We figured you might try something like this.”

“I have to go see her,” she said as she put the bag on the hood of the car. “Let me go.”

Kya shook her head and her mother sighed and stepped forward.

“I know this is coming as a shock to you, but to suddenly run down there, there isn’t much you can do for her.”

“I can be there for her! Like she was there for me when you guys were having problems!” Korra waved her hands and squeezed the keys. “I can’t just leave her, mom.”

Her mother looked at her aunt who crossed her arms in front of her chest, “This isn’t my say, Senna. I just want to make sure Korra has thought this through.”

“I have,” the snowboarder stated firmly, “I have through this through and I have to be with her. I need to be with her. I... I...” She closed her eyes and felt the cool winter breeze freeze the tears on her lashes. “I love her, I love her so much.”

She felt her mother’s arms go around her and squeeze her. Korra hugged back.

“Please wait,” her mother whispered, “Just wait one day. Let yourself cool off for one day. And if tomorrow morning, you still want to go, then we won’t stop you.”

Korra inhaled slowly and then nodded her head. “One day,” she repeated.

She opened her eyes and stepped back.

“Let’s go eat salmon cakes and read up on what’s going on with her father, okay? Come on little pup,” her mother took her hand and grabbed the bag she hastily packed. “Coming, Kya?”

Her aunt looked at the building and shook her head, “I have some stuff I have to take care of. Save me some cake. I’ll stop by when I’m done.”

Inside the house they booted up the dusty old desktop computer, a gift from Kya to Tonraq, and began reading articles together. Her father joined them around dinner time and her mother filled him in on the situation.

Asami’s father was under arrest and waiting in jail for arraignment, then trial. They had a lot of evidence against him. It seemed he had no alternative other than to hope for leniency.

Korra tried calling Asami again. When she didn’t answer, again, she texted her saying she just found out about her father.

“You’d think this would be a bigger story,” her father said as he munched on a salmon cake. “That we would have heard about it sooner.”

“This response to an article said the same thing,” her mother noted as she scrolled through the text. “Someone else replied ‘Seems they are keeping it quiet as to not give any more attention to the rebels than necessary.’”

“I’m going to bed,” Korra announced drearily.

At the same time she stood up the front door opened. Her aunt kicked the snow from her boots and closed the door behind her.

“There is cake left, right?”

Korra nodded. “Lots of cake. I didn’t have much of an appetite.”

Her aunt hugged her, “Things will be okay. It’s not like they arrested Asami. And worst case scenario, a man of his stature, he’ll just have to spend some time in jail.”

The snowboarder forced a smile and turned to go to her bedroom.

“Sleeping so early?”

“I’m beat,” she waved her hand behind her.

“Sleep well,” her aunt said as she went to the kitchen to get a slice of cake.

 

The next morning Korra awoke an hour before her shift started. She grabbed the bag from yesterday, this time better packed with several pairs of clothing. Another bag had some toiletries and more things she’d need.

She tiptoed through the house and pulled her boots and jacket on. Her dad wouldn’t be awake for another hour and her mom not for a few after that. As quietly as possible she slipped out through the front door.

Once outside she practically ran towards the parking lot. A little bit of snow fell overnight but the quiet skies indicated an otherwise clear day.

When she rounded the corner she groaned out loud.

Her aunt stood next to the old Toyota.

“Seriously!?”

The older woman shook her head and laughed, “You’re very predictable.”

“Just let me go, please!”

Kya stood squarely in front of the driver’s side door.

“Aunt Kya!”

“Korra, I can’t let you go, sorry,” the gray haired woman put her hands in her pockets, “Not without giving you this.” She took an envelope out of her pocket and held it in front of the snowboarder.

Korra frowned and set her bags down. She took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a piece of paper with bank information, a debit card, and a statement attached.

“It’s a little over five thousand dollars. That’s what I owe you for all the work you did around here, minus some other costs. Just don’t go blowing it on something stupid. Be smart, okay?”

She didn’t move. She didn’t even breathe. “But... why?”

“I’m going to be bluntly honest with you: remember when I said you being here probably wouldn’t make a difference? I was right. At the end of this season I’m shutting down the mountain.”

Korra had no words. She crumpled the enveloped in her hands.

“But-”

“Don’t worry about us. Me, your parents, everyone else, we’re going to bounce back. I’ve been talking with your mom and dad. We were planning on telling you sometime this week, but we wanted to wait until we were absolutely certain,” she pressed both of her hands onto the snowboarder’s shoulders. “Go to Asami. Be there for her. Go live your life. Just don’t forget to come visit us.”

Korra lifted her head and wrapped her arms around her aunt. The two hugged for what seemed like ages.

When they parted both women had tears in their eyes.

“Drive safe,” her aunt said as she stepped away from the car. “And your mom packed the rest of the salmon cakes for you. I put them in the front seat.”

“Tell mom and dad I love them. And I love you, too.”

Her aunt smiled and stepped onto the sidewalk. She pulled out of the spot and drove carefully through the parking lot. The vision of her aunt got smaller in the mirror until she turned down to the main road and lost sight of her altogether.

She put the phone on the passenger seat next the envelope. The roads ahead were dark, narrow, and winding. As long as she took them nice, slow, and easy, she would be in Republic City before noon.

Before the day’s end she would see Asami in the flesh, one way or another.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twenty chapters!   
> I don't know what to say.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been too long since I last updated. I was so eager to get this out that I didn't do any proofreading, so I apologize for any mistakes.

Korra barely shifted into park before hopping out of the vehicle and running towards Asami’s front door. She banged on it several times and waited. No one answered. Now wearing a deeper set frown the snowboarder ran around to the back door and repeated the actions she gave to the front door. Once again, no answer.

There were no lights on inside and the place appeared deathly still. She cupped her hands onto one of the windows to peek inside and saw nothing. Not a thing. No furniture, walls bare, and not even a jacket hanging by the door leading to the garage.

Shock and confusion tore at her heart. Korra ran back around to the front where the Toyota hummed quietly. She’d left the keys in the ignition and the driver side door wide open in her hurry to see her girlfriend.

Yes. Her girlfriend.

Regardless of what Asami may or may not have done, Korra wouldn’t give her up. On the drive down she realized she’d already made this decision the moment she began texting and calling the college student. She wanted and needed the other woman back in her life. And until that happened, everything else was trivial and unimportant.

The snowboarder looked at the house and studied everything. No ‘For Sale’ sign sat in the yard but the mail box no longer had the Sato name on it. Everything just appeared empty and deserted. She scratched her head and walked to her car.

“You looking for someone?”

Korra nearly fell onto the driveway as she twisted on her foot towards the voice.

A neighbor, an old man with a long gray beard and a gentle smile, stood at his mail box collecting letters.

“Yes!” She ran through the yard leaving fresh foot prints in the fallen snow. “Do you know what happened to Asami Sato, the woman who lived here? Like, where she went and when?”

He stroked his beard and gazed at the empty house. “The nice young lady with the cool ride? She moved out several weeks ago. Looks like she didn’t have much a choice, either. Lots of men in suits came and packed things away.”

“Men in suits?” Korra rubbed her hands on her thighs. Could this have something to do with Asami’s dad?

“Yes, men in suits. They packed a lot of things into vans. The rest she took herself in a truck. Came back for the car later and that was the last I saw of her,” he turned towards his own house, “Always kept to herself, that one. Not unfriendly, but always seemed too busy to chat. I do love a good chat. Never get to talk to much to-”

Korra didn’t have time to listen to him ramble. She jogged back to her car while yelling thanks and waving. Once she buckled up she backed out and left the small suburb.

Since she couldn’t just explore the campus for days on end hoping to catch a glimpse of the raven haired woman, Korra headed to the gym. Mako and Bolin were living above it now. One or both of them could help her.

The drive felt forever. With Asami at the wheel it always took no time to return to the city. The woman has a lead foot and makes no apologies for it. Korra took her father’s advice to heart and kept it under the speed limit. She just didn’t have her girlfriend’s confidence on the road.

In front of The Steel Gym she parked the car and no sooner closed the driver’s door when a voice addressed her.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

A smile tugged at her lips when she saw her former employer standing in front of the gym, hands on her hips, and eyes narrowed. Korra shrugged her shoulders and walked towards her.

“What? No ‘I can’t believe you’re here! I missed you so much!’?”

Beifong shook her head, smiled, and opened the door to the gym. Korra grinned and stepped into the place of sweat. The moment the other woman followed her through the door she pulled her into a hug.

“Alright, alright, I get it,” Beifong pushed her away. A tinge of pink colored her normally pale cheeks. “What brings you back? I know the season isn’t over yet on the mountain.”

“Asami,” the snowboarder stated straight to the point. “She needs me and I have to be here for her.” Not wanting to mingle anymore words or explanations she continued on, “I gotta speak to Bolin. Any chance I can get you to let him go early for the day, chief?”

The chief crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the front counter. “Why do you need Bolin?”

“For reasons I’ll explain later,” Korra pressed her hands together, lowered her head, and assumed the begging position. “Please!”

A hand swatted at her head. She yelped and rubbed the spot.

“Just let him know that he’ll have to sweep and mop for the rest of the week.”

Korra pulled the chief into another hug which the woman pushed her out of and ran into the gym. She found Bolin spotting for a beefy guy by the free weights.

“Korra!” He would have pulled her into a bone crushing hug but the muscled man had most of his concentration on making sure the 300 lbs didn’t come crashing down on the man’s chest below. “I got your text this morning but I didn’t think I’d see you till later afternoon.”

“Finish up here and we’re going to find Asami, okay?”

“Wait, what? She’s not at the house?”

“No one is. Apparently she moved out or something. I don’t know. But I need to find her,” the darker skinned woman perched on the bench next to her best friend and fought back a yawn. Driving so many hours on the snowy roads took more out of her than she anticipated.

Bolin frowned and helped lift the weight back on the rack. He patted the big guy’s shoulder and told him to go on to the next exercise without him.

Korra watched her friend take a seat across from her. The man rubbed the back of his neck and furrowed his thick brows. “How do you think I can help? Just keep you company or something?”

“You are friends with her volleyball teammates. One of them has to know something. We go to campus, we get some answers, and we work from there. What do you say?”

He looked skeptical. She didn’t blame him. Last night she sent him a long text explaining what she found. He seemed genuinely shocked and very apologetic in his follow up texts this morning. She didn’t blame him. How could he have known?

From where she stood, though, he probably only thought about how the woman cheated on his best friend. Bolin may be friendly guy, but he had little tolerance for liars and cheats.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

She tilted her head and smiled at him. “Yeah. I gotta see her.”

The explanation satisfied her best friend who stood up and thudded his chest. “Then let me get changed and I’ll meet you in the car in fifteen,” he took one step and stopped, “Have you eaten yet? Manhunts are easier on a full stomach, you know.”

Korra grinned and shook her head, “I’d love some dumplings.”

 

 

An hour later found the two parking on campus and meeting with Ahnah near the gym. Bolin explained the two were better as friends and had a lot more fun hanging out than trying to date. He didn’t mind, since his focus had shifted towards getting a spot on the national team.

The young woman waved at them and jumped into Bolin’s open arms for a hug. She pulled back and gave a half hug to Korra.

“So what’s the big secret? Pulling’ me all the way out here in the cold?”

“You didn’t tell her, Bolin?”

Her best friend grinned sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t think you’d help... You were the one who saw her going into the room with that guy.”

Ahnah reached up to redo her ponytail into a position higher up along the back of her head. She bit her lip and looked to the side. “If this is about Asami...”

“I need to find her,” Korra pleaded. “Please.”

“She cheated on you!”

“Ahnah,” Bolin rubbed his forehead. “It’s Korra’s choice.”

The volleyball player crossed her arms over her chest. She sighed and Korra frowned. A long moment of silence passed between the three.

“She’s going through something really bad right now. Regardless of what she did that night, she needs someone to be there for her. I want to... I need to be that person. So please, help me?”

Her girlfriend’s teammate shifted from one foot to the other. She puffed her cheeks and said, “It hurt, you know? We all looked up to Asami. Sure, she dated a lot, but she was always honest with us and about her lovers. She never lied. And then she went and did this in spite of all those times wistfully talking about you, saying she’d never felt like this about anyone. She was our captain and our friend. Then she goes and does this? I can’t forgive her.”

Korra felt her lips rising into a smile. Out of all the words coming out of Ahnah’s mouth, all she could hear were the ones describing Asami’s feelings for the snowboarder.

“I get it,” Korra nodded and pressed a hand on the college student’s shoulder. “I do. It hurt me, too. But sometimes we do crazy things that we don’t mean. We can only hope that someone forgives us in time. And I forgive her.”

Bolin peered back and forth between the two women. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he wiggled nervously.

Ahnah visibly chewed her lower lip. Eventually she uncrossed her arms. “Listen, I don’t know her schedule. But maybe if you just wait at her house she’ll show up. She can’t avoid you forever.”

Korra’s shoulders slumped, “She moved out. I figured you might know since you two play together.”

“We don’t anymore,” the ex-teammate corrected. “Our season already finished. She’s a senior so she doesn’t need to do any practices or hanging out.”

Bolin groaned and Korra shoved her fist into her hand.

“Man. I wonder who else we can ask, then,” the muscled man looked around seeming to expect someone to show up out of thin air.

“Wait, I think, I might... hold on,” Ahnah pulled her phone out of her pocket and began swiping at the screen. “I’m assuming calling her won’t work. She probably won’t even pick up for me. But there is someone she would. I hung out with her once. She exchanged numbers with me but we never did anything. Hold on.”

Korra pulled her hoody tight around her body as she waited. The other woman held the phone against her ear and tapped her foot while waiting.

After a few seconds she said, “Hello! Hi! Is this Tuyen? Hey, this is Ahnah, remember me? I’m one of Asami’s teammates from the team. So hey,” the black haired woman paused. Bolin twirled his hand for her to go on, “Um. We got these special shirts for last season. Asami ordered one but the address it got mailed to sent it back saying she doesn’t live there anymore. Do you have her updated address?... Ah, yeah.... Okay hold on a sec, let me write that down.”

Both Korra and Bolin scrambled for a piece of paper while Ahnah took a pen from her shoulder bag. She scribbled the address down and then smiled triumphantly.

“Thanks again Tuyen. Yeah, we should totally get lunch. I’m free!”

The snowboarder thought she might strangle her girlfriend’s former teammate as the woman continued to babble on. Finally she hung up and Korra had to keep herself from lunging after the piece of paper.

“You’re brilliant!”

Ahnah blushed at Bolin’s assessment. She offered the paper to Korra who carefully held it in her hands.

She stared at the address and felt all the blood rush from her face. Her veins felt ice cold and her heart stopped. Now that she had the address, now that she had a way of getting in contact with the older woman, what would she say? What would she do?

The confidence from earlier had vanished into thin air.

“Korra is thankful, right?”

She nodded her head and smiled. “You’re the best, thank you so much.” Before she knew what she was doing she had Ahnah in a tight embrace. The young woman felt stiff and obviously uncomfortable. Korra let go and mumbled an apology.

A beefy hand struck her shoulder hard and she winced.

“Let’s go get her!”

They said their goodbyes to Ahnah and promised free food for her at another date.

In the car Korra paused and took several deep breaths. If Asami didn’t want to talk to her, what made her think she’d want to see her?

“You can do this. Worst case scenario? She doesn’t want to see you. And how is that different from before?”

Her best friend’s words made sense to her head even if her heart didn’t hear them.

“You’re right,” she sighed, “I’ll drop you off back and work and text you after I find her.”

Bolin nodded his head. The car ride to the gym fell silent while she mulled over what to say to the green eyed woman. Her head began to throb.

At the gym Bolin slapped her shoulder again and wished her luck. She smiled weakly. Once he disappeared behind the doors she entered the address into the GPS on her phone and threw it on the passenger seat. The voice from the phone guided her through the streets and into another part of the city.

It finally had her stop in front of a large apartment complex. The building reminded her of the one where she, Mako, and Bolin stayed. After finding a place to park, Korra went to the front door and stared at the buttons to each apartment. Even without knowing which apartment she stayed in, which she did, the Sato name sat boldly next to one of the buttons.

Korra breathed in deep and then pressed it.

 

 

“Want a refill?”

The snowboarder tore her eyes from the window to her server. She nodded and the woman poured more ice water into her glass. Her half eaten sandwich sat in front of her getting ice cold from her lack of appetite. For almost four hours now she’d been sitting in the cafe across the street from the apartment complex.

No one answered the button she pushed. So she went to her car and waited. After less than an hour she felt extremely bored and went to try the button again. And once again no one answered.

A nerve wracking walk around the block didn’t help and only made her worry even more that she missed the raven haired woman. After scoping the place out she found a cafe with a large window that ensured that as long as she kept an eye out, she wouldn’t miss her girlfriend coming in or going out.

Thankfully the inside of the cafe was empty enough that she didn’t draw the ire of anyone trying to find a seat. But she did have to order food so she wouldn’t seem like she was just using them as a reason to not be out in the cold.

“Come on Asami,” she mumbled to herself.

The setting sun made the snowboarder yawn. Normally she’d be eating dinner and then getting ready for bed right about now. Her body ached and felt stiff from the long drive and the stress of waiting to see the one person she loved almost more than her family.

She leaned back and rubbed her eyes. Another yawn itched at her throat and she shuddered trying to stuff down the desire.

One more hour passed and Korra frowned as she nodded off for the third time. With a defeated grunt she rose to her feet and left a generous tip on the table. The sun had set and left the street and sidewalk bathed in the light of the street lamps.

Out on the sidewalk she frowned as the cold air washed over her warm and sleepy body. She yawned again while walking towards her car.

Then, out of nowhere, a black charger pulled into the parking lot next to the apartment building. Korra’s heart stopped. Her mouth went dry and her feet became lead weights.

The car parked, the door opened, and out stepped almost six feet of curves and alabaster skin wrapped in black and red leather. Korra grinned and wiped a tear from her eye. She steeled herself and made a direct walk towards the woman.

Asami didn’t notice her as she went to the door of her apartment. Korra opened her mouth to say something. Nothing came out. Her next instinct kicked in and she reached out, one hand on the other woman’s shoulder, and pulled, needing to feel her embrace more than anything else.

What happened next shocked Korra so much that she laid on the ground and stared at the dark sky not moving for almost a minute. Asami had twisted her arm and flipped her onto the ground in one smooth movement. It knocked the air from her lungs.

“K-korra! Oh gosh I’m so sorry!”

Once the shock wore off Korra could do nothing but laugh. She laughed so hard that tears pushed out of the corners of her eyes.

The college student pulled her to her feet while apologizing up and down. A frown marred those ruby red lips and the woman brushed her back and arms from any dirt and snow that clung to her.

While she did this, Korra finished what she set out to do and pulled Asami into a hug. She buried her face into the crook of her neck and inhaled that scent of motor oil and coconut. It made her heart swell. It also made her heart drop when she felt her girlfriend stiffen and keep her arms at her sides.

“I’m sorry,” Korra breathed just under her ear. “I’m so sorry. For everything. For how I talked to you last time, for your dad, oh god, your dad, I’m sorry! But I’m here now. I don’t care about anything that’s happened before.”

“Korra,” the college student exhaled and pressed her cheek against the side of her head. Then she extracted herself and pushed the snowboarder at arm’s length. “Korra, I appreciate that you came down here, but... I can’t.”

“What?” her voice croaked in her throat. “But I... you... we...”

Asami shook her head and took a step back. “I’m not good for you. For anyone. I... I don’t know if I ever will be,” the raven haired woman sobbed and covered her mouth. “Please go. Please.”

Korra stood firm and resisted the urge to pull the broken beauty back into her arms. “No. Asami, I love you. And I know you love me. I’m not going.”

Her girlfriend kept her hand over her mouth and looked away. She averted her gaze and her shoulders shook. “I... can’t make you leave. But... we can’t be together.” The engineering major turned and put her keys in the door.

A quick step forward and Korra had her hand pressed on the door to keep it from opening.

“You give me one reason why we can’t be together,” the snowboarder glared into those teary green eyes, “Tell me you don’t love me. Tell me you didn’t spend all that time missing me and wanting to be with me. Tell me... tell me the reason you never responded to me was because you were afraid I’d come running down here the moment you did.”

Asami shook her head and sobbed again. Korra tried to pull her into a hug again and the woman yelled for her to stop. She took two steps back and felt her face turn red from embarrassment and shame.

“I do love you,” admitted the older woman. “But I’m a mess. All I can think about is my dad and what he is going through. I can’t be with you right now.”

“You should be there for your dad,” Korra whispered. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. When she opened them she took Asami’s hand into her own. “And I’m going to be here for you. You can’t do this all by yourself. Even if... even if you don’t want me as a girlfriend. Even if you just want to be friends, I won’t stop being here for you.”

A silence fell over both women. The hand trapped between her own shifted and moved to squeeze one of her hands. She lifted her head and smiled. Asami didn’t smile in return.

“You should be with your family,” came the other woman’s voice in a sad and dreary tone.

Korra tilted her head and chuckled, “You know, I think, I think I am. I mean, I think this is where I’m supposed to be.”

Asami looked as if she might burst into tears and the snowboarder made a move to hug her. The woman shook her head and she stepped back again.

“It’s late,” came the tired reply of her (hopefully still) girlfriend. “I need to sleep.”

“Sure,” Korra let go of her hand and moved away from the door. “I... I just want you to know that I’m here. I’m going to get my job back at the gym for now. But I’m going to stay here, in the city, I mean. Just please don’t ignore my messages anymore, okay?”

The raven haired woman nodded her head and unlocked the door again. She watched her open the door and step half way in.

“Thank you,” Korra smiled and leaned against the wall in the breezeway. “If you’re free tomorrow, let’s get lunch, okay?”

Korra felt a rush of adrenaline and she quickly agreed.

“Tomorrow, then!”

 

She didn’t remember the drive back to the gym or hauling her bags up to the apartment above it. Bolin threw some blankets and pillows on the couch for her and cooked up some macaroni and cheese.

“The way you’re smiling I take it everything went well,” he noted as he handed her a bowl of the steaming food.

“Not great, but, I think I got a good chance.”

He grunted as he dug into the food.

The door opened and Mako stepped into the apartment. His eyes went wide when he saw Korra on the couch.

“Why are you here?”

She smirked, “Well nice to see you too, Mako.”

“Yeah, sheesh, what a shitty way of greeting someone you lived with for several months,” Bolin said through a mouth full of macaroni.

The taller brother rolled his eyes as he loosened the laces on his shoes and pulled them off. “She just surprised me, is all. You didn’t tell me she was staying here.”

“Sorry,” Korra mumbled. “It’s just a temporary thing until I get an apartment of my own.”

“You’re staying in the city? What about your family’s mountain problems?”

“My aunt said they’re going to have to close anyways, so I may as well get settled in down here,” the snowboarder stirred her food while the muscled brother continued to shovel his own into his mouth. “Besides, this way I can be here for Asami.”

Mako raised an eyebrow and then turned away from the pair. He grabbed a box of crackers from the cupboard and headed towards his room. “Huh. Well, good luck.”

Bolin swallowed and frowned. “He’s been worse lately. Of course he almost never talks to me. We did this to get closer to each other but I get this feeling he just tolerates me at best.”

Korra patted her best friend’s shoulder and then mussed his hair, “He’s probably mad because he lost his internship what with Asami’s dad’s business shutting down.”

“Didn’t think about that... Dammit I wish he’d tell me these things.”

She forked some macaroni into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully.

“Anyways, sleep tight. Do your best tomorrow, okay? I’m happy to have you back in the city, but I don’t want it to be all sad and mopey and stuff because you couldn’t make up with Asami,” he grinned and noogied her head.

Korra made a face at him and watched him until he entered his room and closed the door.

Even though she said she’d support the raven haired woman as a friend, she really wanted more. She wanted to be holding her right now and kissing her and telling her everything would be okay. With that motivation behind her, she turned off the lights and plopped back down on the couch.

Operation: Support Asami was now in full swing.

 


	22. Chapter 22

Asami rubbed her forehead as she tucked some papers into a folder and placed them on top of one of the thick books she needed for the last stream of her mechanical engineering courses. She glanced at the clock and groaned. The late hour meant she’d only be getting a few hours sleep before having to return to campus to work on her final project.

Now that she lacked her own large space she had to do all her work in a room provided for majors in her field. It meant she had to share tools and also deal with people interrupting her. She did not enjoy sharing.

The college student picked up her phone and opened the new texts from Korra. They were full of encouraging and loving words as well as her saying how much she looked forward to having lunch with her tomorrow. Although they made her smile, they also made her heart hurt. She knew she had a lot to explain. Having the younger woman hate her and not want to talk to her again over the cheating would have made so many things easier.

After a terrible night’s rest and four hours spent building a modified electrical engine for a motorcycle, Asami arrived at a generic restaurant downtown--one she choose for the public area and neutral setting. Korra already stood outside. The woman wore a dark blue parka and jeans. Her smile made the raven haired woman feel like crying.

“After you,” Korra held the door for her and Asami bit back the tears in her eyes.

The sudden appearance of the woman left her in shock. But now that she had time to let it all sink in, she realized just how much she missed being in the presence of the snowboarder.

They found a booth near the front window and gave their drink orders before settling into an uncomfortable silence.

“I missed you,” the dark skinned woman started as she shrugged out of her parka. “And I’m sorry about your dad.”

Asami inhaled slowly. She nodded her head and pressed her lips together. The ability to speak without breaking down felt rather impossible at the moment. She’d need a few moments of small talk.

“Isn’t there still more left in the season on the mountain?”

Korra sighed and leaned back in the booth. She fiddled with the glass of water in front of her. “My aunt informed me that it is closing down. No matter what I do from this point forward, it’s not going to change that.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Asami did feel truly bad. Everyone she met during the Christmas holiday was so nice and kind she would never wish anything terrible like this upon them.

The snowboarder shrugged her shoulders. “It is what it is.”

Another lull settled between them and the middle aged waitress returned to take their orders. Even though Asami had no appetite, she forced herself to order a burger and fries. Korra got the same, as well as a shake.

“I meant what I said last night,” the shorter woman said as their server walked away to put in the order. “I love you. And I’m going to be here for you. If you need me to stay away, and gosh, I hope you don’t, then I’ll stay away. But I-”

“Korra just stop,” Asami put her head in her hands and took several deep breaths. “I didn’t cheat on you, just so you know.”

“It doesn’t matter to me,” the snowboarder smiled in spite of the sadness in her eyes.

“I... I still want you to know that nothing happened. I had a rape kit done and-”

“You had a rape kit done!? Asami, what happened that night?”

A pair of dark skinned hands grasped her own and squeezed tight. The college student choked back a sob. She struggled to keep calm.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” she explained while staring down at the condiments on the table. “I wasn’t sure what happened. Tuyen convinced me to go to the doctors and have a rape kit done, just in case. That night was a huge blur for me. There were things I couldn’t remember and when you asked me,” another choked sob stilted her voice, “when you asked me if something happened, I didn’t want to lie to you. Not after hearing all the lies from my father. I didn’t want to do that to you.”

“Asami,” Korra squeezed her hands again and held them tight. She enjoyed the warmth. “I understand. I’m happy that nothing happened, also.”

“You don’t understand,” she pulled her hands away from the snowboarder and put them on her lap under the safety of the table. “If I could lose control like that and do that to you, what good am I? I know what people say about me, I know that I’m considered a slut around campus, and maybe there is some truth to it, who knows? All I know right now is that one night off the deep end and I would have been unfaithful to you. It’s better for both of us if we just aren’t together.”

Her lunch companion did not respond right away. She could feel those icy blue eyes boring into her and she wished for a reprieve, a distraction, something to happen so that she wouldn’t have to feel the shame and guilt.

“Do you get it, now?”

“No, not really.”

Asami lifted her eyes and saw the other woman half smiling. She resisted the urge to also smile. The inner warmth in the snowboarder was more contagious than measles.

Korra shifted on the seat and balled her fists on the table. Her smile changed into a slight frown and she continued, “You had a bad night. Considering everything I’ve read about your dad, I don’t blame you. If you had cheated that would suck and honestly, I wouldn’t know how to handle it, but I do know that I want to be with you. And I want to be here for you. Isn’t that enough?”

“Korra... I...” she had no words for her ex-lover. She never expected this level of commitment from the younger woman. All things considered, perhaps she should have.

The waitress brought out their meals as well as Korra’s chocolate shake and Asami felt thankful for the opportunity to try to digest the other woman’s words as well as ingest the food placed in front of her. The burger tasted okay but the fries were a little on the dry side. She pushed the plate away after a few bites.

“Between college and trying to be there for my dad, I don’t have time for you,” her words came out even and unhindered. “I wish I did. I wish I could be with you, but I don’t want to drag you into this. Korra, they took away my house. They went through my stuff and they froze my dad’s accounts. The only money I have is what is in my own account, which honestly isn’t a lot. At this point I just have my car and whatever I could fit into this apartment.”

She paused to take a long drink. It looked as if the darker skinned woman might interrupt so she quickly resumed as the need to get this all out there grew greater by the moment, “My dad’s business is ruined. We have nothing. It’s up to me, now, to fix the Sato name. And right now that means graduating at the top of the class and getting a job lined up which is going to be beyond difficult because who is going to want to hire the daughter of a terrorist?”

At the end of it all Asami closed her eyes and rubbed her cheeks with the palms of her hands. Saying it all out loud like this seemed to lift a weight off his shoulders. It also finally cemented why she and Korra wouldn’t work, at least not until she got her life back together.

“Okay,” Korra said as she wiped some ketchup from the corner of her mouth. “That seems reasonable. I think.”

The college student opened her eyes and pressed her hands on top of her thighs. Those blue eyes caught her gaze and she couldn’t look away.

“But I’m confused. Do you think I only like being with you when everything is perfect? Because that’s totally not the case,” the snowboarder pushed her half eaten burger to the side and leaned forward. “I love you. All of you. I love the part of you that worries over your dad even though he lied, I love the part of you that will waste an entire day away in the garage, and the part of you that is even kind of a slut.”

Asami lowered her head and chuckled. She lifted a hand to rub the side of her head but had it pulled away from her instead. The engineering major kept her eyes down and blinked away more tears.

“I love how messy you look in the morning, I love that you’re not even aware of how rich you are and that giving everyone in my family presents isn’t something everyone has the luxury of doing,” Korra rubbed the top of her hand. “I love you. And if you need to do this on your own, then okay. I’ll leave you be. But I’m not leaving. When you’re ready for me, I’m here.”

She felt her hand lift and a pair of lips press against it.

“Because you know, like you, I have a lot of faults, also, like being stubborn.”

The raven haired woman laughed. With her free hand she wiped the corners of her eyes. “You are very stubborn.”

“I know,” Korra grinned and held her hand close to her face. “But that’s part of my charm and part of why you love me, right?”

She couldn’t disagree even if she could bring herself to say it out loud.

“I’m a mess, Korra.”

“You look fine to me,” the shorter woman commented. “But I’ve always thought you looked rather fine.”

“You dork,” Asami lifted her eyes and then rolled them. She felt content for the quiet moment with her hand trapped inside the other woman’s hands. She bared her soul and it didn’t kill her like she thought it might.

Korra rubbed her nose and lips along her knuckles. The simple act felt too amazing and she had to retrieve that hand back into her lap. For the time being the other woman was just a friend. Granted, a friend she loved, but a friend all the same.

“I should get back to campus,” Asami announced as she stood up from the booth. Korra followed her up like an eager puppy, pausing to throw a wad of bills on the table. The raven haired woman had no energy to protest. “I’ll call you, okay?” She didn’t want the woman to worry and chase after her.

“Sure,” she didn’t miss the disappointment in the snowboarder’s voice. “I start my shifts back at the gym tomorrow, but I’m going to make sure to have my evenings free. But if you need anything at any time of the day or night, you just call, okay? I... I miss talking to you. Even a text would be nice.”

Asami froze and bit her lip. “Korra... I’m so sorry. I... I wanted you to hate me. That’s why I couldn’t reply. I really appreciated all the messages, however.”

A pair of lips pressed against her cheek and she sighed.

“Let’s start new, okay? Forget about all that. Just focus on the here and now.”

She nodded her head and gave the shorter woman a hug. Those muscled arms squeezed her tight. It felt wonderful. So wonderful she stepped away from the woman almost instantly.

“See you,” she murmured as she walked into the cold air and towards her car. Once inside the charger she revved out of her spot and rounded the corner where she whipped into a parking spot. There she sobbed against her hand.

 

 

Three days passed without Asami seeing Korra again. She responded to the texts, like she promised, and smiled as the younger woman shared random pictures and blurbs with her about her day. Until she could find a place of her own, the snowboarder was crashing on the couch in Bolin’s and Mako’s apartment. It apparently made for interesting interactions since Bolin kept forgetting Korra was in the apartment and waltzed around in his underwear in the mornings.

While the college student yearned to see her ex-lover again, she still felt out of sorts with herself.

“My ex came back this week and said she planned on supporting me through all of this,” Asami announced in her group therapy session during the sharing portion. She had her hands folded in her lap, one leg tightly crossed over the other, and stared down at the carpet. At Tuyen’s insistence, she began attending the group after receiving the negative on the rape kit. “I just don’t understand her, I guess. I don’t know why she’s not upset or angry...”

Everyone in the room shifted and Asami looked down at the hands folded over her crossed legs. She still felt out of sorts with the group because she wasn’t one of them—she didn’t actually experience an attack, only an attempt.

“Does she know what happened to you? You mentioned that she lives far away...” a fellow student responded quietly from the other side of the circle.

The engineering major pressed her lips together. She furrowed her brows and said, “She’s only here because of the trouble my dad is having right now. But she knows something happened at the party because of a friend, I don’t know what she knows, however.”

The therapist running the session chimed in, “Do you want her to know everything?”

Asami shrugged her shoulders and decided she’d need a manicure by the week’s end. “I don’t know how to feel. It’s nice to have her around, again, but she shouldn’t have to go through this with me.”

“Who are you to decide that for her?” A rather snide voice cut through the din making Asami lift her eyes to a woman dressed like a black lacy goth vampire. The woman continued, “If she still wants to be around you, that’s her choice. Your only choice is to decide if you want _her_ around.”

“What I think Mai is trying to say is that it is your choice if you want to tell her, but honesty is important in relationships, so tread carefully,” the therapist smiled, looking rather pleased with herself.

“I suppose,” Asami bit her lip. She sighed and returned her gaze to her hands.

“So what are you thinking of doing?”

 

 

Asami busied herself with school work, her final project, and setting up interviews with some R&D departments as well as government work. She’d need to have something once she graduated. Further study was no longer an option, unless she took on loans.

She hadn’t seen Korra for almost two weeks. Although she originally told herself she would no longer have anything to do with the snowboarder, she couldn’t keep from replying to the younger woman’s messages. It reminded her of the warmth she felt when those muscled arms wrapped around her and held her close. She couldn’t deny that a huge part of her longed for that warmth.

As she prepared a not-so-elaborate dinner of spaghettios she frowned at the calendar. Thursday was visitor’s day at her father’s prison. Once a month she could speak to him inside a room where other prisoners and their families sat and talked. Since they deemed him not dangerous he had permission to walk freely around the room with her, no cuffs, and only a bright orange jumpsuit to remind her that her father was not the man she knew.

She had yet to bring up their earlier fight. She only asked how he fared and he would only inquire about her money situation and how her studies were going. The visits felt like two strangers trying to get to know one another.

Both times Tuyen accompanied her, albeit staying in the car during the visit. The second time Tuyen drove her since Asami broke down in tears the first time out. It took nearly two hours to drive to the prison and she felt very thankful the second time to be driven there and back. Just seeing her father in that manner always left her drained.

A beep on her phone distracted her from her thoughts and she swiped open the message. On the screen a picture of Korra wearing pikachu pajamas popped up. She giggled and covered her mouth. The text underneath explained that she and Bolin were out shopping for some more clothes since she left most of her stuff back on the mountain.

Asami sighed and gazed at the woman in bright yellow. She traced a finger over her face. Why couldn’t she just tell her? She supposed having Korra hate her seemed better than having her feel shame over her actions.

The girls in the group would tell the college student that she ought not to feel shame over something she had no control over, but she would (and did) argue that she had control over her drinking and partying. No matter what the circumstances in her family, she should have reacted better.

After a sub par dinner, some studying, and a fitful night’s rest, Asami awoke to the ringing of her cell phone. This was not the sound she had set for her alarm so it sent her heart racing. She grabbed the thin piece of technology, pressed the answer circle with her thumb, and pushed it against her ear.

“Hello,” she mustered, her voice thick with sleep.

“Asami, this is Tuyen, I didn’t wake you, did I?”

The raven haired woman sat up and yawned, “It’s okay, my alarm would have gone off in ten minutes anyways. What’s up?”

“I know I promised I’d drive you today but my professor emailed me late last night about an interview with that one company I told you about and I cannot miss this opportunity,” her best friend hesitated and said, “But I will, if you need me...”

“What? Tuyen, no,” Asami yawned again and pushed the hair from her face. “Go to your interview. I can go alone.”

“Are you sure?” Even though she believed her friend would drop everything for her, she also noted the hopeful and excited tone in her voice.

“Tuyen, you’ve been there for me every step of this awful process, I’ll be fine, okay?”

“I’m going to take you out for a chocolate fudge sundae with cherries and chocolate chips on top when you return, okay? I love you!”

Asami smiled, “Good luck.”

She heard the call disconnect and dropped the phone to her lap. The college student still felt sleepy and couldn’t think properly.

One shower, some toast, and a cup of coffee later found her sitting on her couch and staring at the black screen of her TV. She chewed her lower lip and took several deep breaths.

It was not the drive that bothered her, it was the stress that built up over the two long hours it took to get to the prison. She knew she’d eventually have to go on her own, but she didn’t think it’d be so soon.

Her phone beeped and she picked it up.

A message from Korra said, ‘Good morning!’

She hadn’t told the other woman about this trip.

Before she knew what she was doing she was pressing the call button to the snowboarder and holding it up against her ear. Her heart pounded and blood rushed to her cheeks.

“Asami? Wow, good morning indeed!”

Korra’s voice caused her to smile, even if the rest of her body fell into a state of pain and longing.

“Hey, good morning. How are you?”

“Great! Just had a huge bowl of corn flakes. Bolin introduced me to almond milk. It’s really good!”

The smile stayed plastered on her face as she leaned her head back against the couch. “Almond milk is great. So, um, what are you up to today?”

She heard the sounds of clinking dishware in the background, “Gotta get down to the gym in a couple minutes to start my shift. Why? What’s up?”

“Oh you’re working?” Asami tried her best to hide the disappointment in her voice. Apparently she failed. Quickly she added, “Ah well, another day then.”

“Asami,” Korra’s voice softened, “I told you I’m here for you. What do you need?”

Her emotions were already on high alert and she struggled to keep it together. “I... that is... Do you want to go on a road trip with me?”

 

 

The college student pulled into the parking lot of the gym and rested her hands on the steering wheel. She had to steady herself with several deep breaths. If this were just another visit, she wouldn’t be feeling so stressed. However, two weeks ago, after a group therapy session, she had decided she would talk to him directly about his actions and how they came to be. This was why she needed someone with her. She had no idea how this would turn out.

Another minute of calming breaths and she exited the vehicle. She no sooner stepped onto the sidewalk then the door opened and out stepped Korra.

At least, she was pretty sure it was Korra.

Instead of that near shoulder length hair that donned her head last time, Korra stood there with a whole new hair cut. The sides where clipped short and the middle top left a little longer. It stuck up in a fashion that reminded her like a mohawk.

“Um, whoa,” Asami shoved her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. A second later she realized she did this to keep herself from running her palms over the younger woman’s head and threading her fingers through the hair. She blushed at the thought and averted her eyes to the side. “New look, huh?”

The snowboarder grinned. “Bolin and I went to this beauty school. They need practice and charge haircuts for next to nothing. Of course, if someone messes up, you’re in trouble. But I think mine turned out pretty cool.”

“Very cool,” the college student smiled and moved her gaze to the shorter woman’s nose. “So... you’re not going to lose your job over this, right?”

Korra shook her head and played with the strings of her dark blue hoody. “Bolin is going to take over my duties today. I’ll owe him, but it’s not a big deal. So you didn’t say where we’re going.”

Asami swallowed. She chewed the inside of her cheek. “We’re going... to see my dad. Well, I’m going. I just... I just needed someone to keep my company. It’s a long drive.”

Korra’s eyes widened and then softened. What happened next left the college student in such surprise that she followed along purely because her brain temporarily stopped working. The dark skinned woman reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her down the sidewalk.

“Korra what are you-?”

They stopped in front of an old Toyota. Her companion fished a set of keys from her jean’s pocket and threw Asami a grin.

“Hop in,” she went around to the driver’s side and unlocked both doors.

She hesitated and then opened the passenger door. “When did you get a car and a license?”

“On my birthday,” the other woman said nonchalantly, “Gift from my parents. Dad taught me how to drive, then they took me down and got me all set up. Make sure you buckle up.”

Asami raised a single eyebrow but did as she was told.

“That’s amazing, Korra. You’re... you’re amazing,” she looked out of the window and bit her lower lip.

Korra snorted, “Hardly. A lot of idiots know how to drive. Aren’t you always pointing that out? I just needed a distraction and learning this helped.”

“A distraction?” The moment those words left her mouth, Asami already knew the answer.

“Yeah,” Korra shrugged her shoulders. “There is only so many hours my aunt would let me stay out on the mountain before dragging me back in while complaining that I’d get frostbite.” Her driver laughed and Asami smiled sadly. “Oh! You should see my new board! It’s sweet. And it’s a custom build for my height and size. I haven’t gotten to try it out, yet, but I bet it rides like a dream.”

The college student didn’t have anything more to add to the conversation, so she busied herself with the radio. “Do you mind if we just listen to music on the trip there? I need to clear my head.”

Her driving companion nodded her head. Although it felt awkward to ride without talking, it felt more awkward to have a conversation involving anything over the past two and a half months.

About ten miles from their destination, Korra pulled off the highway and into a fast food joint.

When Asami gave her a questioning look, the younger woman stated, “Can’t go visit your dad on an empty stomach. Come on, my treat.”

She exited the vehicle and weakly protested, “I’m not that hungry.”

“Well, I am. So we’re eating. And since I’m the driver, I need to keep my strength up. Also, I can’t eat alone, because that’s too awkward, so you’re going to have to eat something, too.”

Asami could only shake her head. It was as if the other woman had taken a 101 psychology course and was putting what she learned into action.

Although she said she wasn’t hungry, she managed to eat a burger without too much trouble. The conversation stayed on light topics such as the weather and enjoyable lack of snow. For a moment it felt like old times. Asami couldn’t focus too much on that. Soon she’d be confronting her dad. She couldn’t think about these muddled feelings for her ex-lover.

In no time they were pulling up to the federal prison. At Asami’s request, Korra stayed behind with the car while she went through the motions of a pat down and handing over identification for a visitor’s badge.

She walked into the room. Her father sat at a table looking very tired, but obviously happy to see his daughter. They hugged and she sat down in front of him.

“You’re looking radiant, today,” he started. “Did you get your hair styled recently?”

Her mind wandered to Korra’s haircut and she shook her head while suppressing a smirk. “No. It’s the same as always. Longer, though, since I haven’t been to the hair dressers in quite a while. How are you? You look like hell.”

He waved his hand in the air dismissively, “Prison food doesn’t agree with me. But at least I get a lot of reading done. Have you gotten any job offers, yet?”

Asami shifted in her seat and folded her hands in front of her. She found comfort in touching her hands together in such a manner. “Dad,” she hesitated, unsure of how to start, “I know we haven’t talked much about your arrest. Your lawyer has filled me in on the technical details... but I have to know... I have to know why.”

His eyes darkened and he turned away from her, twisting in his seat and rubbing the tops of his thighs with his palms. She stared hard at him. If she didn’t, she would immediately take back the question and never have the courage to bring up the topic again.

“It doesn’t matter, does it?”

“It does,” she insisted. Her fist thumped the table and she inhaled quickly, looking around to make sure the guard didn’t notice her mini outburst. “Please, just, I need to know.”

The older Sato rubbed the bridge of his nose and then ran the same hand through his thick hair. He shook his head and looked as if he may just get up and leave her with her question.

She pressed further, “You’re my dad. I love you. I always saw you as this wonderful, generous guy. Smart, talented, driven, and always looking out for his employees. So why, why would you use your planes for such a manner? They said your planes were distributing weapons and you knew all about it. The ones who got those weapons killed so many innocents... Dad... please look at me.”

He lifted his head. That patented smile graced his aging features. “Are you certain you want to know?”

Asami dipped her head for a short, single nod. She gazed into those eyes that she spent so many years trusting and loving.

“Because I agree with the rebels. What they’re doing, their cause. This world is under a plague. It needs to be cleansed. I decided I could use my money and influence to undertake such a venture,” he turned in his seat and laid both hands on his table. When he reached for her hands she pulled away. She didn’t miss the pain in his gaze, “I used to think what I was doing was the best thing. Making money, building bigger and better planes for others to use and make money with. But really, I was just part of the problem.”

She closed her eyes.

“Asami, please, I know you’d agree with me if you saw the monstrosities these companies were inflicting upon those poor countries with their factories and building sites. I have so much more information and I bet I could convince you-”

The college student lifted her hand and shook her head. “Stop. Dad, just stop.” She pushed away from the table and rose to her feet. “I think we’re done for the day.”

“Asami,” he stood up to follow her but she pushed a hand to his shoulder. A guard stepped forward and the two immediately parted while offering the man a respectful nod. “Let me explain, please.”

“I don’t want to hear anymore. I’m tired and I have finals coming up and I need to land some kind of job before my savings run dry,” she laughed, almost maniacally, “And this is all because of your ideals. Yes. Okay, then.”

As she walked towards the exit her father said, “You need time to process. We’ll talk next month.”

“Maybe, I don’t know,” she muttered as she waited for the guard to unlock the door. She left without turning around to acknowledge him. Once outside the prison walls she hugged herself. Her body shook and tears pushed out of the corners of her eyes.

A pair of warm arms encompassed her and she cried against Korra’s neck.

 

Asami winced as she awoke to Korra’s gentle nudging. Her neck had a terrible kink in it from how she slept in the passenger seat on the ride home. She opened her eyes and saw the other woman had parked in front of her apartment.

“What about my car?” she asked as she rubbed her face and yawned.

“It’s safe. You can get it later after you’ve rested.”

“I’m rested enough,” she yawned again.

Korra rolled her eyes, “I’ll walk you to the front door. Sleep and then when you’re ready, text me and I’ll come pick you up and take you to the gym, okay?”

The raven haired woman stared at the dashboard. She relented by opening the door and walking up the steps towards the front door of her apartment building. Within seconds the snowboarder was at her side. She noted how the woman stayed close, but didn’t touch her.

At the door she paused and clenched the keys in her hand. “Would you make sure I make it up there? I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”

They both walked up the steps, two flights, and Asami unlocked her door. She pushed it half open and looked back into those loving blue eyes. Her heart strained in her chest.

“Come on. I’ll fix you a cup of hot cocoa,” she managed to croak.

Korra smiled and followed her in.

“Wow, it’s actually nice in here. I expected something smaller, but you have a lot of space,” the snowboarder pulled her boots off and brazenly walked past Asami and into the rest of the apartment. “Kind of barren, though, huh?”

Asami smiled, “Haven’t really had time to unpack. But I don’t know if I’ll be staying here very long. Just depends on the job I get.” She went into the kitchen, which was also part of the living room, and opened the cupboard to take out some packets of hot cocoa mix.

“I’ll do that,” Korra stepped next to her and proceeded to look through all the cupboards for the mugs.

She didn’t have the energy to stop the younger woman and decided to lean against the counter out of the way. As Korra filled the tea kettle and turned it on Asami shrugged out of her leather jacket and threw it on the chair.

“You should hate me,” she muttered as she took her phone and wallet out and set them on the counter. “What I did to you...”

“You seem like you’re hating yourself plenty for it.”

The insightful reply only made the college student pull into herself.

“I’m not going to ask you why. I mean obviously the stress of your dad must have... I won’t assume anything. When you’re ready to tell me, if you ever want to, I’m here to listen.”

“And if we never get back together?”

Korra crossed her arms over her chest and leaned on the counter opposite Asami. “I just want you to be happy, Asami. If you can be happy without me, so be it.”

The moment the mocha skinned woman uttered those words, she knew in her heart she’d never be happy without Korra in her life. Her throat swelled and she struggled to swallow. With hardly any saliva she licked her lips and lifted her head.

Asami began explaining everything that happened from the moment she found out about her father. About why she didn’t want to worry the other woman, about the night out partying with Bolin, what followed, and how she was now in group therapy over it. It took over an hour and by the end of it her throat was hoarse and she could hardly speak.

Korra stayed silent during it all and the tears in Asami’s eyes made it difficult to gauge the other woman’s reactions. When she finished, when she could no longer say any more words, she sat back and waited. She didn't deserve anything from Korra, she knew this. And she'd take whatever sentence was handed down from the younger woman.

 


	23. Chapter 23

The beeping alarm noise jolted Korra awake and—had her arm not been pinned between something heavy and the bed—she would have fallen trying to grab her phone. After thirty seconds of fumbling she found her phone on the nightstand and swiped to turn off the noise. A groan came from against her chest and she smiled.

Pressed against her was a beautiful young woman with jet black hair and porcelain-like skin. That hair, usually styled with grace and beauty, was now a mess of tangles sticking everywhere.

The sight made her smile even more and she pressed her nose into those dark locks. Upon inhaling she detected berries and a faint hint of motor oil, both of which made her smile grow larger. Korra set her phone down and wrapped both of her arms around Asami. She held her close while also burrowing back into the bed.

“Do you have to work?” came a mumbled question from against her chest. The smile she had slipped away and it became her turn to groan.

“I’ll just get Bolin to cover for me.”

The college student chuckled. “As much as I appreciate that, I think you ought to go...”

Korra frowned and loosened her arms from around the other woman. She slowly pulled back while trying to not make any eye contact. Of course she’d have to go. Just because they spent the night in each others arms, it didn’t mean they were back together. Asami made that very clear.

“Korra, wait,” a warm hand slid up her neck, tried, and failed to thread fingers into her short hair. “Don’t forget to come here after work so you can take me to get my car, okay?”

She hesitantly lifted her blue eyes and found, with great happiness, a pair of warm green eyes gazing back at her. “Yeah, sure,” the snowboarder bit her lip to keep herself from leaning forward to kiss the other woman. “You sure you don’t need me to take you there now? Don’t you have classes and stuff?”

Asami shook her head, “Nothing worth attending. I’m too tired to go anywhere, today. I think I’m just going to lay about and try not to think about anything.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Korra couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “I’ll bring lunch. Just text me with what you want.”

As the mocha-skinned woman grabbed her hoody from the floor she gingerly rubbed her stomach from where the button of her jeans imprinted on her while she slept. Falling asleep with her ex-girlfriend had not been planned. She’d only meant to comfort her for a little while, not stay overnight.

Once she had her hoody back on she turned around and offered a small wave. The other woman still lay in bed, her sleepy eyes barely able to stay open.

Korra bit her lip, “It is okay that we have lunch together, right?”

“Of course. But only if that’s what you want. I still think you ought to be more mad at me,” Asami trailed off and looked to the side.

The snowboarder inhaled deeply and exhaled loudly. “I am mad at you, sure. But that doesn’t mean my feelings for you have changed. I’m going to work, now. While you’re laying around today doing nothing, please consider that, okay? And make sure to text me with what you want to eat.”

She didn’t wait for the raven haired woman to respond. Korra ran out of the room, pulled her shoes on, and exited the apartment while also reminding Asami to lock the door behind her.

A couple hours later she was putting together some new cardio machines and felt heavy knuckles dig into her head.

“Heeey!” the snowboarder looked up and found Bolin staring down at her with a smirk on his face. “Oh hey! Thanks for yesterday. Anytime you need me to cover for you just say so.”

Her best friend knelt down beside her pretending to help, but instead picking up a tool to spin around on his hand. “How is she?”

Korra sighed. She’d told Bolin about the rape kit and the possible attack the night of the party. He fell into mopey mode right after that. She could tell he blamed himself.

“She’s fine as she can be with all the stress she is under,” the mocha-skinned woman grabbed the tool from her friend’s hand and banged his forehead with it. “And she doesn’t blame you for anything. So stop being all depressed about it.” He nodded his head, but she could tell he had no intention of listening to her. “Anyways, I at least get to bring her lunch after work. Beyond that? I just have to wait and see.”

“See what?” Bolin frowned and rubbed his forehead.

He stood up to help with the finishing touches on the elliptical slider that had been frustrating her for the past hour.

“See if she decides to try again with me,” Korra breathed out as she put in the sixteenth screw. “She wanted to break up because I think she has this stupid idea that because she screwed up once that I’ll never want to be with her, or something, I guess. I don’t know, but,” the snowboarder set her gaze out towards the windows at the front of the gym, “I just know that she still loves me as much as I love her. If she didn’t she would have never asked me along to go visit her dad. ... Right?”

Her best friend grinned and slapped her back. “Definitely!”

Korra winced and smiled. She needed this encouragement right now. She had no idea what was in store for her later.

“Boy I tell you though,” Bolin smacked his fist into his other hand and snarled, “If I ever find the dill hole who tried to drug and rape her, I’m going to punch him so hard that his nose will forever be crooked and every time he looks in a mirror he’ll be reminded to not mess with anyone.”

The shorter woman laughed and hugged her friend. Even though she’d never say it, she felt the same way. No matter how upsetting it felt that Asami might cheat on her, knowing that someone would have tried to force her (or any woman) like that made her so very angry that she would also enjoying a few punches and kicks on the perpetrator.

“More so than beating some ‘dill hole’ up, let’s just try to be there for Asami right now, okay?”

Bolin waved his hand, “Of course, of course. All she needs to do is ask and I’ll walk on hot coals for her.”

One of the beefy guys over in the weight lifting room called for her friend and he took off to do some spotting. Korra smiled, watching him leave, and returned to her work.

She felt lucky that the chief assigned her so much busy work. After all the talking last night she needed a distraction to keep any headache at bay.

There were times where Korra felt hurt and times where she wanted to hug the other woman and kiss all the pain away. By the end she knew more than ever that she made the right decision returning. And when Asami allowed her to hold her, to comfort her as the tears streamed down her pale cheeks, she knew she didn’t want to be anywhere else, even if it sometimes meant pain like this.

Another sigh escaped her lips, one of many she’d already had that day.

While she comforted Asami, the woman remained adamant that she didn’t deserve Korra, that the two could only be friends. Korra obviously disagreed, but it didn’t sway her exes opinion.

She jammed the boxes from the new machines into the recycling bin and then kicked the bin in anger.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t kick that. We have a lot of other equipment you can beat up instead.”

Korra blushed and turned. Beifong stood at the back entrance of the gym holding a container likely filled with her lunch. The woman gave her a stink eye like no one ever could.

“Sorry, I just, yeah... sorry. Won’t happen again ... chief.”

She couldn’t help adding the last part and when the older woman glanced back at her with daggers in her eyes Korra laughed so hard she clutched her stomach.

“Sorry! No really, I am. I couldn’t resist, though,” she wiped a tear from her eye and sighed.

Beifong walked silently through the halls with Korra trailing only because they were heading in the same direction. As they neared the main entrance the gray haired woman slowed and said, “I hope that whatever you ditched work for yesterday was worth it.”

“Er, yeah,” Korra rubbed a hand through her faux-hawk-do. “Sorry about that, too.”

The two resumed walking, but only for a few steps when Korra became the one to speak this time.

“Um, Beifong, I have a question. I mean, advice, I need advice. Well, not me, just general advice. I mean, sure I could probably use it if it is worthwhile, but I don’t need it right now, right this instance. It’s just for someone else-”

“Good lord spit it out Korra!”

Korra’s eyes widened. She swallowed and licked her lips. “Right. Um, well, do you think it’s weird that someone still loves another person even if that person purposely omitted to tell them about something really bad happening in their life?”

Her boss scrunched her brows together. Then the woman reached up and rubbed her forehead in exasperation.

“Is this about you and that Sato woman?”

“Whaaat!? Nooo,” Korra chewed the inside of her cheek. “Wait? How would you even know about any of that?”

The older woman lifted a brow as if to say ‘you’re kidding me’. “The way my workers prattle on about their little dramas, I’m surprised I haven’t learned everyone’s blood type by now,” the chief rolled her eyes. “And as for your advice? You should do what you want. If you want to still be with her, then be with her. Who cares if someone thinks it’s weird?”

Korra smirked, “What if the person I want to be with is the one who thinks it is weird?”

Her boss tilted her head and pressed her lips together. After a moment of thought she replied, “You’ve explained to her why you still feel the way you feel?” When Korra gave a half nod, half shrug, she continued, “I won’t claim to have any superior knowledge or secrets to relationships, after all, I’m a few years away from pushing fifty and I’m single. However, with relationships in general, friendship or more, I know that being honest and being as clear as possible is important. As long as you can confer to her why you feel what you feel, then whatever happens next is something for the two of you to decide.”

“That,” Korra stretched her arms out to her sides, “Is such vague advice!”

Beifong narrowed her eyes at her and turned on her heel. “Then don’t come to me for advice next time! You kids, honestly! No one ever comes to ask me about anything worthwhile, only about silly things that mean nothing when you’re so young. Try living forty years and then maybe you can learn something.”

The older woman griped all the way into her office.

Korra puffed her cheeks and felt torn between laughing and crying.

She knew she wanted Asami. But she didn’t know if the other woman still wanted her.

 

 

 

“How’s the salad?”

Asami lifted her eyes and smiled. She swallowed and said, “It’s good. Thank you. And thank you for staying with me last night. I guess I ended up kind of a mess, huh?”

Korra shook her head and leaned her elbow on the table, “Don’t worry none about it, on either account. I just can’t believe out of all the things you wanted a salad? Just seems pretty dull.”

“Oh believe me, after so many burgers with you, I needed something not greasy and not meat. This is hitting the spot,” the college student laughed and Korra settled her features into an affectionate grin. “You’re too good to me.”

“Don’t start that,” the snowboarder groaned. “I’m not too good to you nor am I too good for you!” She dipped her head down feeling very embarrassed at her sudden outburst. “I, that is, what I mean is that I’m doing these things because I want to. I want to be with you and I want you to be happy.”

Across from her the taller woman had set down her fork and was now staring down at the bowl full of lettuce and other veggies. At first Korra felt certain she’d said the wrong thing. She wanted to ease into this topic instead of suddenly blurting it out. But after that conversation with Beifong all she could think about what was whether or not Asami was still in love with her.

“I listened to what you had to say last night. I’ve been listening every time you try to open up to me. I’m mad that you lied. I’m mad that you didn’t say anything. But what I’m most angry about? You think that you can just throw this away,” Korra pushed her club sandwich away and banged a hand on the table causing Asami to jump. “If you want to throw this away because you don’t love me, because you stopped having feelings for me, then just say so! Because I can learn to forgive you for being stupid and I can also forgive you for any future things that might happen. But it’s all for nothing if you don’t feel the way I do about you.”

She didn’t have the courage to look the raven haired woman in the eye. Instead she opted to stare down at the carpeted floor. The ire in her veins pushed hot and cold. Her body shook in anticipation of Asami’s awaited response.

When no response came, not even a mumbled word, Korra closed her eyes and squeezed her hands together.

“Sorry, I’m sorry, this was stupid of me. You finally open up to me and I just push you in a corner over something like this,” the snowboarder stood up and turned towards the door. “I need to give you time. You said you needed time and I’m just... I’m sorry.”

She made it half way to the door when a pair of arms wrapped around her.

“Don’t go,” Asami breathed against her ear. “Please?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Korra slumped and blinked back the tears. “I’ve told you that before, remember? It’s not any less true today.”

The college student nodded against the back of her head. Korra remained facing the door and covered those alabaster arms with her darker hands.

“I don’t know what I want anymore,” Asami admitted against her back. “I know that last night I didn’t want you to leave. Not even this morning and certainly not right now.”

Korra inhaled slowly, then turned, and wrapped the taller woman into a bear hug. She pressed her face against Asami’s neck and nuzzled.

“I know you’ve said you’ll be by me,” the other woman continued, “You’ve even proved it several times over these past couple weeks. I didn’t give you a chance before. I didn’t want to bring you into this mess.”

“That’s your right,” Korra admitted, “I don’t want to force you into anything.”

“And I appreciate that,” Asami rubbed her hands up and down her back. It felt so nice that she dragged her lips to a spot up under the student’s earlobe. “But you know, you haven’t really forced me to do anything. You’ve given me so much space and all I’ve done is just keep you at arm’s length.”

The two held each other for several moments without saying a word.

Finally, Korra whispered, “So now what? What do you want?”

Asami shivered in her arms and Korra squeezed tighter. She tensed when she heard the other woman’s voice.

“You. I want you, Korra.”

The snowboarder almost didn’t believe her ears. She froze. Then she picked up the raven haired woman and spun her around. When she set her down she kissed her cheek and pressed their foreheads together. The other woman laughed and began to cry.

Korra kissed at the tears and pulled her over to the couch.

“But I don’t know if I’m wholly ready to dive back in,” Asami warned as they settled on the couch next to one another. “I’m willing to compromise, though. You’re right, I’ve been unfair in how I’ve treated our relationship. I don’t want to decide all of this, especially since it concerns the both of us.”

All the while the engineering major talked Korra kept kissing her and wiping the tears away from her own cheeks as well as Asami’s.

“We can go slow, that’s okay. I just want to be able to see you or talk to you every day, even if it is just to say good night.”

Her girlfriend dipped her head down and up, “I can do that.”

“And,” Korra didn’t want to push her luck, but she figured better now than never, “At least once a week I want lessons on how to do things like change the oil in my car or do tune ups or whatever.”

The other woman pulled back and stared at her as if she’d just entered the asylum. “What?”

Korra grinned, “You heard me. Weekly lessons for maintaining my car. I think that’s the least you can do for what you put me through.”

Asami flinched, then smiled and kissed her nose.

At first Korra thought she might have said the wrong thing, but when the woman agreed, she felt happier than she’d been in a long time.

 

 

 

“Bolin I got like half an hour to shower, get a bite to eat, and get my ass over to the campus for my lesson with Asami so you better not be in the bathroom!”

A week later and Korra felt as though she might burst at the seams. She and Asami were talking daily now and the woman was doing her best to be more open about her feelings. The snowboarder did her best not to push her. They even shared some kisses after dinner a few nights prior.

She went to her duffel bag and grabbed some clean clothes.

“Oh yeah! I’m also going to look at a couple places so I don’t keep infringing on you and Mako. I feel like I’ve been taking advantage of you guys for too long and-” she stopped when she saw her best friend standing in the hall clutching a baggy. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, walked over to the kitchen counter, and slammed the bag down. Korra cautiously walked towards him and eyed the contents. Inside the baggy was what looked like powdered sugar. The mocha-skinned woman tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

“I... I found it when I was looking for some a pen and paper. It was in his desk... I thought he seemed odd, especially as of late! He’s been doing drugs!”

Korra frowned and picked up the bag to get a better look at it. She lifted her eyes to Bolin who slammed his fist against the fridge.

“Hey now, Bolin,” she struggled for words. “Maybe this isn’t as bad as you think? What if he hasn’t tried it but is just thinking about it?”

“Why wouldn’t he just talk to me first!? We’re brothers! I know we’re not the closest but I thought that by living together we could be close! That’s all I ever wanted growing up and now he’s doing something stupid like this and I’m just,” the muscled man growled and before he could hurt himself again Korra pulled him into a hug.

He grunted and stayed stiff in her arms. She could tell he was trying to fight back tears.

“We’ll talk to him, okay? We can work through this together. It’ll be okay.” Bolin pulled away and rubbed his face. He opened his mouth to say something but then looked up and past her.

She turned as the door opened and Mako stepped in. The slim brother took his shoes off and then looked up and noticed she and Bolin staring at him. He frowned until his eyes caught the baggy of powder on the counter.

“Where did you get that?”

Bolin stepped forward and took a breath, “In your room.”

“Why were you in my room!?”

“I was just looking for something, but, look, listen, we were bound to find out sooner or later.”

Korra watched silently at the exchange between the two men. She bit the inside of her cheek and pondered going to her room.

“So now what? Going to turn me in?” Mako’s voice rose sharply and his defensiveness made the snowboarder fill with worry. “Did she tell you I did something!?”

Both Bolin and Korra looked at each other. Their brows furrowed and Bolin crossed his arms over her chest.

“What-what did you do?”

Mako looked back and forth between the two best friends. His thick eyebrows twitched and he slung his bag to the ground. “I did nothing! Okay! I heard from someone on campus that Asami Sato has been attending rape counseling. But I didn’t rape her, okay!? I don’t care what she’s said to you!”

Korra’s heart raced and she began to see red in her eyes. She looked back to the baggy of white powder and things slowly clicked in place.

“You drugged her at the party?!”

She stepped past Bolin who looked as if his eyes might bug out of his head. Even though she had no definitive proof, she had a strong feeling, and she had to press on it.

“You asshole! You drugged her! You were at the party with them and Bolin mentioned that you were no where to be found. He assumed you went home with someone but you were actually somewhere with Asami! She told me that you were trying to date her before and you were even acting all jealous when you found out I was dating her!”

“I didn’t do anything!” Mako tried to stare her down but she doubted that not even a fire breathing dragon could scare her. “I chickened out! Okay? Yes, I was jealous! I know, it was stupid! I realized that. I made sure no one did anything to her and then I left! It was just a stupid mistake.”

Korra balled her fist and lifted her arm. Then suddenly a blur pushed past her and she heard the sickening smack of Bolin’s fist striking his brother’s face.

“ARE YOU STUPID!? YOU MUST BE STUPID IF YOU THOUGHT WHAT YOU WERE DOING WAS EVEN REMOTELY OKAY!? WHO CARES IF YOU CHICKENED OUT!?”

The snowboarder blinked a few times as she watched her best friend standing over the top of Mako looking as if he might beat him into a bloody pulp. She finally got into her right mind and grabbed his arm to pull him back.

“Bolin! He’s not worth it! Calm down!”

“KORRA! He tried to drug your girlfriend! WE TRUSTED HIM!”

She glared down at the bloodied face man on the ground. Mako groaned and rolled onto his back while covering his nose with his hands.

“I know, I know,” blood pounded in her ears and she felt her muscles tense and quiver, “But he’s your brother and our friend. He needs help, not to be beaten down like an animal.” Korra sighed, “At least not yet.”

A pounding at the door made both Bolin and her jump and she quickly stepped over Mako to answer it. Although she only meant to open it a crack, she couldn’t stop it from being whipped open and definitely couldn’t stop the train that was Beifong from pushing in.

“What the hell is going on above my gym? I can hear you yelling as clear as day!” She stopped and looked down at Mako. Her eyes traced back to Bolin’s bloody fist. “Someone better explain and now!”

Bolin fumbled for words and Korra quickly stepped forward making sure to close the door behind her. “Mako did something really stupid and Bolin did something stupid. We’re going to take Mako to the hospital right now, right Bolin?”

Her best friend just nodded his head and turned around to find a towel all the while mumbling to himself.

Beifong knelt down next to the older brother and helped him to sit up and lean forward. “Fine. You get him to the hospital. Then all three of you are going to return and tell me exactly why this happened and why I should continue renting to you.” She took the towel from Bolin and gave it to Mako. He was already gushing blood all over his suit. Korra didn’t really see the need for the towel at this point.

As the chief took Mako out into the hall and down the steps, Korra stopped Bolin with a hand to his chest.

“I want nothing more than to kick his ass, probably even more than you,” she stared at her best friend, her eyes narrowed, and her nostrils flaring. “But I’m not about to do anything to upset Asami. I don’t even know how I’m going to tell her. Ultimately she’s the one who should decide what she wants done to him.”

Bolin’s chest heaved as he tried to calm himself down with deep breaths. He just nodded his head while the snowboarder talked.

“That means she might press charges against him, do you understand?”

He looked her in the eyes and then looked away. “I know. I get it, okay?”

Korra closed her eyes and dropped her head. “This is so fucked up,” she mumbled as she grabbed her shoes. “I don’t even know what the hell we’re going to tell Beifong.”

“We tell her the truth. She deserves that. What she decides is what we’ll accept.”

“Yeah,” the shorter woman grunted.

Her thoughts were only with Asami right now. She had no idea how to tell her. She didn’t even want to tell her. Korra grabbed her car keys and phone. On her way to the car she texted Asami, ‘Something came up. Go home without me. Will call you later. I love you.’

 


	24. Chapter 24

Asami sat cross legged on her couch and tapped her fingers on top of her text book. On the floor, in front of her, Korra’s gaze wavered between anger and sadness. The snowboarder’s hands switched between balled fists and stretched-out fingers. She fidgeted while awaiting Asami’s reply.

“He drugged me. Then he had second thoughts and did nothing to me,” she repeated, trying to understand what was just explained to her. “You guys found the drugs in his bedroom and Bolin broke his nose?”

“Yeah,” Korra sighed. “Beifong wants him gone by the end of the week. She doesn’t care if Bolin and I stay, though.”

The college student rubbed her face and leaned against the back of the couch. So many thoughts raced through her head. She felt anger towards the young man, but she also felt shock and confusion. She’d never imagined he would do something like this. It never even occurred to her that anyone she knew could do something like this to her.

“Bolin understands it's your right to press charges. He’s saved the baggy of whatever that stuff is just in case you need evidence.”

“Isn’t that his brother?”

Her girlfriend fell onto her back and kicked her feet against the base of the couch. She grunted her reply, “He wanted to take him to the police right away. He loves his brother, but he can’t tolerate anyone who would do that to another person.”

Asami looked down at her book and marked the spot from which she’d been taking notes. She pushed all the homework to the side and joined the shorter woman on the floor.

“I want to talk to him,” she said suddenly as she stretched out on her back next to Korra. “One thing I’ve learned by going to this group is that a lot of women can’t get closure on this kind of stuff. I don’t think I’ll magically get that by confronting him, but I know I won’t be satisfied turning him over to the police or letting him just run away.”

No reply came from the mocha-skinned woman. Asami folded her hands over her belly and stared up at the ceiling of the small apartment. She tilted her head to rest against the bare, muscled shoulder next to her. It felt nice, warm.

“You don’t think I should?” she quietly asked.

The other woman’s body shook back and forth.

“It’s not that. I’m just wondering if you can just talk to him. Asami, I wanted beat him down. I’m still upset at him and I saw what Bolin’s fist did to his face. He’s all black and blue with his nose stuffed up with gauze and covered in tape. Anyone else would feel bad for him and I’m just... I’m just so mad!”

Asami smiled and kissed the shoulder next to her head. She unfolded her hands and took one of Korra’s, threading her fingers in it and pulling it against her body.

“Anyone tell you lately how amazing you are?”

Her girlfriend merely replied by exhaling air through her nose.

“Korra... I’ve had time to work this out. Group counseling, one on one, and chats with Tuyen have given me plenty of time to think about what happened to me. Granted, I could never have prepared myself for this, but this is what I feel I need to do,” she scooted close to the warm, younger woman, and continued, “I’ll talk to him. I have questions and he might not be able to answer them all. Afterwards, well, I’ll just have to wait and see. Though, in all honesty, the last thing I want is to deal with the police over yet another matter.”

“Yeah, I get that,” the snowboarder said.

She pressed her cheek against Korra’s shoulder and tried to make sense of her swirling emotions and bombarding thoughts.

“I need time to think, though, before I do talk with him. He’s not going to flee the city anytime soon, right?”

“Bolin took his debit card and said he could have it back after you decided what you wanted to do. He also took his ID, just in case he tried to get money from his account. We’re pretty sure he won’t leave, at least until after graduation. It’s all so fucked up.”

“I’m glad to have a friend like Bolin, and a girlfriend like you,” Asami smiled and rubbed the hand inside hers.

“I’m back to girlfriend status?”

The college student chuckled. “I figured that was clear after we made out after dinner a few nights ago.”

“A few kisses is hardly making out!”

“It lasted almost fifteen minutes, Korra.”

“Well, compared to what we used to do...”

Asami laughed and rolled onto her side. The snowboarder also shifted and the two faced each other.

“I’m still not ready for that, yet,” she reached out to play with the short locks on top of the younger woman’s head.

Korra frowned. “I wasn’t pushing you for that.”

“Oh! I know. I’m sorry. I just wanted to make clear-”

“That you’re not ready. I get it.”

Asami raised a single eyebrow and tugged the snowboarder’s ear. “Let me finish,” she chided. “I wanted to make clear that although I’m not ready at this moment to jump back into the sack with you, I feel like I could be, soon. You’re difficult to resist, especially with this little punk wannabe haircut you’re rocking.”

“Don’t make fun of my hair!”

She grinned and ran her hand over the shaved side of Korra’s head. “I’m not! I’m enjoying it. Of course, you’d probably look good with any hairstyle. Your face has a good structure for long hair, short hair, or whatever is in between.”

Her girlfriend scooted forward and rubbed their noses together. “Well, next time you can decide how it gets styled. After all, you’re the one who gets to look at me the most.”

“Oh, you better be careful, because I will definitely take you up on that.”

Korra smiled, “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

The snowboarder grabbed her by the waist and rolled around with her on the floor while tickling her sides. She laughed so hard that tears pushed out of the corners of her eyes. Although she still worried over Mako, for the moment she felt happier than she had in months.

 

 

Two days later she sat in front of Mako inside Lin Beifong’s office. The woman had been kind enough to mediate between the two to keep anyone from flying off the handle. Outside the office she was sure Korra and Bolin had their ears pressed up against the door trying to listen in on the conversation.

The thought made her smirk.

“Are you going to go to the police?” Mako started.

She studied his bruised and swollen face. He appeared remorseful in the way he sat huddled with his hands locked between her knees.

“Do you think I should?”

His shrug made her sigh.

Beifong cleared her throat, “What Asami decides to do is up to her. Don’t you agree?”

The dark haired man nodded his head shamefully.

She rubbed her brow and took a deep breath, “Did you do this because I wouldn’t go on a date with you?”

“I don’t know,” came his indifferent response.

Anger reared its head and she swallowed it down. “You don’t know? You drugged me with the intention of what, raping me? I’d say you felt you must have had a pretty damn good reason.”

“I know I messed up,” he said as he tried to straighten his body to raise his eyes to her. He couldn’t hold her gaze long and returned to staring at the floor.

She glared at him. She wanted to punch that broken nose.

“You know you messed up. Well, that’s good. Regret for you actions certainly make everything okay now. What you did is obviously forgivable. Thank you for for admitting you messed up!”

Mako continued to stare at the floor. He didn’t move nor did he open his mouth.

“I’d hoped we could have a dialogue about this,” Asami licked her lips and rubbed the tops of her knees. “I don’t want to ruin your life the way you almost ruined mine. But I don’t see you giving me any other option.”

He lifted his head at this and squinted at her through those puffy eyes. “I didn’t do it! I didn’t go through with it. It was a stupid decision on my part, but I just... I really liked you and I couldn’t believe you ended up with her...”

“So if you like another woman and she doesn’t like you in return, will you do this to her as well?”

“No! No, I swear!”

Asami stared hard at him. His face flushed and he gripped the arms of his chair. A part of her felt bad for him. Another part of her didn’t know if she should believe him.

“This is tricky. Mako,” the gray haired woman cut in, “If Asami takes you to the police over this it could ruin your entire life. But if she doesn’t and you do this again, you could ruin some other girl's life. Do you see her dilemma?”

He turned his gaze to Beifong and then dropped it back to the floor. “I understand,” he muttered. “I’ll... I’ll accept whatever she decides.”

“That’s not fair,” Asami balled her hands, “That’s not fair to me! You’re leaving your future in my hands. You should fight more for it! Or decide that you are guilty and turn yourself in!” She didn’t think she’d find herself angry at Mako for this, but she couldn’t believe he could be so passive about something so major.

The other student stood up suddenly and Asami instinctively jumped from her seat. Beifong also rose to her feet while staring cautiously between the two.

“Then I’ll turn myself in. Right now,” his nostrils flared and he took a step towards the door.

Asami made no move to stop him. She stared hard at the back of his head. She wanted to see if he would 'chicken out' or if he expected her to stop him.

When he pulled open the door both Korra and Bolin nearly fell into the office. At any other time it would have been a hilarious sight.

Korra blushed and backed away while rubbing her hands together in front of her. Bolin straightened his body. He glared at his brother.

“I’ll drive you to the station, then,” Asami offered, “We’ll go together. Bolin, would you please go get the baggy? You're coming, also. I assume they’ll want witness statements for your confession.”

Mako nodded his head.

Korra’s eyes widened as Bolin turned and went upstairs to retrieve the item.

Behind her, Beifong cleared her throat, “Are you sure this is what you both want?”

Asami nodded her head.

Mako replied, “Yes,” in a sullen tone.

She fished her keys from her purse and pushed past the older brother. “I’ll bring the car around. Korra, wait with him, okay?”

Her girlfriend grunted in affirmative and she went outside to get her car.

Ten minutes later she had Bolin and Mako in the backseat and Korra in the front. The college student drove slowly through the streets until she ended up in front of the police station. Instead of stopping, however, she kept on until she came to a stop in a vacant parking lot of a closed restaurant. She exited the car and ordered everyone to do the same.

All three filed out and Mako stood to the side staring questioningly at her.

Asami glanced to her girlfriend who offered her a supportive smile. She took a deep breath, took three steps, and punched Mako in the gut.

The student fell to his knees and gasped for breath from the sudden strike. She didn’t stop, however, and kicked him several times until he fell to the ground in a fetal position. The only reason she stopped was because Korra pulled her away.

Bolin knelt down next to his brother probably to make sure he was still breathing.

“You are a piece of shit, Mako! If you ever, and I mean EVER try this on another woman I will hunt you down and make you pay! Even if I have to go to prison for a while it will be worth it!” Asami huffed as she felt Korra’s arms tighten around her midsection. “I hope you know how lucky you are right now! I could take you down to the police station and for the rest of your life you’d have a brand on you! You couldn’t go anywhere without your employers or your neighbors knowing that you’re a sex offender. This is a gift from me and you better never forget it!”

She shrugged the snowboarder off of her and stomped to her car. Before she opened the door she turned to Bolin, “Sorry. I don’t mean to leave you out here with him, but he needs someone to take him home and I need Korra with me.”

The muscled man gave her a sage and understanding nod. She slid into the driver’s seat, waited for her girlfriend, and then tore out of the parking lot as though she were reentering a race.

Her entire body shook from the adrenaline of the previous moment and it wasn’t until she was outside the city that she finally stopped on the side of the road. She cranked the car into park and leaned back.

Korra’s hand threaded into hers and she stifled a sob.

“Just tell me I did the right thing.”

The mocha-skinned woman exhaled, “If this is what you wanted to do, then it doesn’t matter what I think. I’m supporting your decision.”

“And if I want to turn around and go to the police?”

“That’s also acceptable.”

She closed her eyes. After several deep breaths she said, “I’m not a monster. I refuse to be like my dad. People deserve a second chance.”

Korra leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“Stay with me tonight?”

“Of course,” her girlfriend whispered against her ear.

 

 

Four weeks later Asami climbed the steps to where several staff members stood waiting to shake her hand as she passed. She gripped the fake diploma that was offered to her and then shook the hand of the dean of students. After a smile for the camera she turned and took several steps to the other side where she sought out the smiling face of her girlfriend in the crowd. The younger woman held up a cell phone, probably taking a bad video of her. Even though she couldn't hear her over the clapping of the crowd, she could see the snowboarder hooting and hollering.

She couldn’t stop the goofy grin on her face.

This was her graduation day and in spite of a very rocky semester, she managed to finish near the top of her class (couldn’t take that number one spot, unfortunately) with several job offers in spite of her father’s arrest.

As she retook her seat she caught a glimpse of Mako sitting far away on the edge of his row. He stared straight forward without any emotion on his face. She only watched him for a few seconds before getting distracted by Tuyen who traded seats with someone so they could sit together.

She briefly wondered where Bolin’s brother was living and what he’d be doing now that he graduated. After the events of the night where she nearly broke her foot kicking him, Bolin kicked him out, and refused to speak with him until he decided he could forgive his older brother.

Korra moved into Bolin’s room and Bolin moved into the room Mako used. The two made it work and thankfully Beifong lowered their rent to accommodate their meager salaries.

Since then Asami saw Korra nearly every other day.

After the ceremony she hugged Tuyen and watched the girl run off to her family. A slight pain shot through her heart. Her father didn’t get to see her graduate. The man had been moved into a more secure facility. It was farther away so her visits could no longer be as frequent. Even if she hated his actions, she still loved him. She wanted to share this moment with him.

“Congrats Miss college graduate!”

A pair of warm arms wrapped around her and she leaned forward instinctively kissing her younger girlfriend. The woman drew it out just long enough to earn a cough from Bolin.

She chuckled when Korra pulled back rolling her eyes and shooting the muscled man a look.

He grinned and then took the opportunity to give Asami a hug. “Congratulations!”

The soon-to-be engineer grinned. “Thanks! I’m just so happy to be done for now. Gosh that was the longest semester of my life,” she pulled the graduation cap from her head and handed it to Korra. “Now I believe someone said something about dumplings?”

After swinging around to pick up Ahnah (apparently she and Bolin had become besties, only second to Korra) the four headed towards ‘Mountain Air’. They feasted on piles of dumplings and shared stories until finally Tenzin and Pema kicked them out into the late night.

Asami drove both Bolin and Ahnah back to their own places and then took Korra to her apartment. The two plopped down onto the couch. The snowboarder turned the TV on but kept the sound low.

“So what now?”

The raven haired woman draped her legs across Korra’s lap and leaned on the arm of the couch. She stared at the TV and rubbed her belly trying to encourage the food to settle. “Sleep, I think?”

Her girlfriend chuckled and took over belly rubbing duties. Asami smiled and dropped her arms to her sides with a happy sigh.

“I was thinking more of your job offers. You said you thought a couple were just out of pity, but that at least one sounded very legit. Have you made a decision?”

She chewed on the inside of her cheek and closed her eyes. Even though she thought she might fall asleep at any moment, she forced herself to keep the conversation going.

“The legit one is south of the city. It means I’d be even farther from dad’s prison. If the one from Spark Industry is real and not just a pity offer, that would place me closer by at least an hour. But either way I’m going to have to move,” she opened her eyes and looked towards the mocha-skinned woman.

Korra stared forward at the TV though it was obvious she had no interest in the program.

“Well, you know, I have the car. So I can keep visiting you no matter where you go,” she smiled and shifted her body so she could press a kiss against Asami’s lips.

Asami wrapped her arms around the shorter woman’s shoulders. She pulled that fit body down on top of her. They held one another, neither making any move towards the bedroom even though she knew it would be far more comfortable on her bed.

No words were spoken for several minutes. Asami licked her lips. She no longer felt sleepy. Her heart raced inside her chest. It was now or never.

“You know,” she started slowly, “If I take the job to the south, I’d only be maybe a thirty minute drive from Mt. Roku. It’s got a place for skiing.”

“Mmm, yeah, I’ve heard about that place. Never been there,” Korra said against her chest.

Asami ran a hand through the longer hair on her girlfriend’s head. “If you move down with me, I’m sure we can find you a part time job that will give you plenty of time to train.”

A long pause occurred before Korra replied, “Maybe I could get a job on that mountain and live and work there.”

“Or,” Asami said, her voice hitching in her throat, “Or, you can move in with me.” She tried to keep herself calm as she elaborated, “That is to say, would you move in with me, Korra?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANNOUNCEMENT somewhat UNRELATED TO THE STORY:  
>  Everyone should go to the police when it comes to rape or even attempted rape. I wholly do NOT endorse the actions of Asami, Korra, and Bolin for how they handled the Mako situation.
> 
> Buuuut it is a story and not everyone in it is perfect.


End file.
